Ayashi no Yuugi II: The Last Sunrise
by Kamui Gaia 07
Summary: Time passes quickly and Heero has learned to control his powers. A new war is beginning, and Gaia and Cosmos return. Will Duo, Gaia, and Cosmos succeed, or will Heero pay the price for his Magami power? Sequel to Ayashi no Yuugi
1. Prologue

**Ayashi no Yuugi II: The Last Sunrise**

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.

**Kamui Gaia 07:** Hooray! The Sequel to Ayashi no Yuugi is out!

**Summary:** It has been two months since the Kamui Power was retrieved. Many changes have taken place since then, and the Nautilus has become stronger. With the arrival of Chaos, a form of Death that not even Shinigami has control over, Gaia and Cosmos return for a second round at saving the world. The Magami power in Heero left over from his previous incarnation as 'The Kamui' may be the deciding factor in the war for Earth. Will the combined efforts of Gaia, Cosmos, and Shinigami be enough to save the Blue Star? Or will Heero be sacrificed for mankind as he was in his previous incarnation?

**Prologue**

**XoXoXoXoX**

Name: Shinn Asuka  
Age: 21  
Colony: L2 X97260  
Description: Violet eyes, chestnut hair (usually in a braid)  
Origin: America  
Parents: Unknown

Basic Report:  
Age 6, Enrolled in Spica Training Academy in 185 AC  
Age 8, Graduation Exam, Gains Codename Duo in 187 AC  
Age 9, Graduated from Spica Training Academy with Honors, Valedictorian; Enrollment Mission, Gains Codename Maxewell; Enrolled in Orion Tactical Graduate Academy in 188 AC  
Age 11, Graduated from Orion Graduate Academy with Honors, Top Three; Enrollment Mission, Gains Codename Shinigami; Enrolled in Sagittarius Political University in 190 AC  
Age 13, Graduated from Sagittarius University with Honors, Top Five as Admiral, First Class, Type Two Unlimited; Joins GTK; Began Training as Gundam Pilot 02 in 192  
Age 16, End Training as Gundam Pilot 02; Begin Operation Meteor; Search for Kamui as Duo Maxwell and Shinigami begins in 195 AC  
Age 20, Kamui Power retrieved in 199 AC

Current Status: Active (Emergancy Only); Attending to Mission in Preventors

**XoXoXoXoX**

Name: Tsukino Arashi   
Age: 20 (Deceased)  
Colony: L4 X78450  
Description: Grey eyes, Blue-black hair (usually in a bun)  
Origin: Northern Europe  
Parents: Unknown

Basic Report:  
Age 6, Enrolled in Spica Training Academy in 185 AC  
Age 8, Graduation Exam, Gains Codename Kotori in 187 AC  
Age 9, Graduated from Spica Training Academy with Honors, Valedictorian; Enrollment Mission, Gains Codename Tenou; Enrolled in Orion Tactical Graduate Academy in 188 AC  
Age 11, Graduated from Orion Graduate Academy with Honors, Top Three; Enrollment Mission, Gains Codename Gaia; Enrolled in Sagittarius Political University in 190 AC  
Age 13, Graduated from Sagittarius University with Honors, Top Five as Admiral, First Class, Type One Unlimited; Joins GTK; Began Training as Gundam Pilot 08 in 192  
Age 16, End Training as Gundam Pilot 08; Begin Operation Meteor; Search for Kamui as Tenou Kotori and Gaia begins in 195 AC  
Age 20, Kamui Power retrieved in 199 AC

**XoXoXoXoX**

Name: Tsukishirou Miyuki  
Age: 20 (Deceased)  
Colony: L3 X29810  
Description: Amber eyes, Blue-black hair  
Origin: Japan  
Parents: Unknown

Basic Report:  
Age 6, Enrolled in Spica Training Academy in 185 AC  
Age 8, Graduation Exam, Gains Codename Sakura in 187 AC  
Age 9, Graduated from Spica Training Academy with Honors, Valedictorian; Enrollment Mission, Gains Codename Tenkou; Enrolled in Orion Tactical Graduate Academy in 188 AC  
Age 11, Graduated from Orion Graduate Academy with Honors, Top Three; Enrollment Mission, Gains Codename Cosmos; Enrolled in Sagittarius Political University in 190 AC  
Age 13, Graduated from Sagittarius University with Honors, Top Five as Admiral, Second Class, Type One Unlimited; Joins GTK; Began Training as Gundam Pilot 07 in 192  
Age 16, End Training as Gundam Pilot 07; Begin Operation Meteor; Search for Kamui as Tenkou Sakura and Cosmos begins in 195 AC  
Age 20, Kamui Power retrieved in 199 AC

**XoXoXoXoX**

Name: Kayla Mitsuki  
Age: 20  
Colony: L3 X29810  
Description: green eyes, red-black hair  
Origin: Japan  
Parents: Unknown

Basic Report:  
Age 6, Enrolled in Spica Training Academy in 185 AC  
Age 10, Graduated from Spica Training Academy with Honors, Valedictorian; Enrolled in Orion Tactical Graduate Academy in 189 AC  
Age 13, Graduated from Orion Graduate Academy with Honors, Top Three; Enrolled in Sagittarius Political University in 192 AC  
Age 16, Graduated from Sagittarius University with Honors, Top Five as Admiral, Second Class, Type Two Unlimited in 195  
Age 20, Joins Preventors as Sakura in 199 AC

**XoXoXoXoX**

Name: Alexa Morse  
Age: 20  
Colony: L4 X78450  
Description: Amber eyes, Violet-black hair  
Origin: Northern Europe  
Parents: Unknown

Basic Report:  
Age 6, Enrolled in Spica Training Academy in 185 AC  
Age 10, Graduated from Spica Training Academy with Honors, Valedictorian; Enrollment Mission, Gains Codename Tenou; Enrolled in Orion Tactical Graduate Academy in 189 AC  
Age 13, Graduated from Orion Graduate Academy with Honors, Top Three; Enrolled in Sagittarius Political University in 192 AC  
Age 16, Graduated from Sagittarius University with Honors, Top Five as Admiral, First Class, Type Two Unlimited in 195  
Age 20, Joins Preventors as Tenshi in 199 AC

**XoXoXoXoX**

Shinigami's POV

It's odd how a month after my companions and I had extracted the Kamui Power from Heero; that Preventors found out about the CSA, and began working beside the Cosmos Star Agency to maintain peace as a sister Agency. Of course, Lady Une had not been very surprised to find out that Zechs, Noin, Sally Po, Hilde, Dorothy, and I were high ranking officers who answered directly to the leaders, the Triad. Another month later, the Nautilus made their first official move since the fiasco a year before that had been codenamed Nautilus Strike by the CSA, which had still been an independent organization at the time. Preventors and the CSA responded spectacularly, and the attack was quickly put down.

Then, all hell broke loose, and Gaia and Cosmos returned to Earth to help guard the mortals, especially since I discovered that Chaos, the one form of Death that _I _have no control over, was aiding the Nautilus. We all knew that this was a hopeless cause, much like the Year of Destiny that had taken place in the AD era, but that turned out alright, and we had a Magami alive and kicking, if we are to ever need a Shadow Sacrifice, so we were relatively sure that given enough time, we would be able to pull off a miracle of some sort. Of course, while we wait for that miracle, we can only hope that we won't need Heero to cast a Spirit Sacrifice spell, especially since he hasn't fully learned to control his power. This is beginning to feel like the year 1999 AD all over again…


	2. Chapter 1: Gaia and Cosmos

**Ayashi no Yuugi II: The Final Sunrise**

Kamui Gaia 07: Need we really say it?

Heero: :Safety clicks off gun: Say it.

Mitsuki Cosmos: No!

Wufei: :draws katana and pulls out gun: Say it.

Kamui Gaia 07: No!

Other G-boys: :Turns off safety on guns: Say it!

Mitsuki Cosmos: :pouts: Fine…

Kamui Gaia 07 and Mitsuki Cosmos: Standard disclaimers apply. We wish they don't, but sadly, they do. In other words, we don't own GW no matter how badly we want to.

G-boys: :Turns guns on plagiarists in the audience: The ideas for **Ayashi no Yuugi** and **Ayashi no Yuugi II** belong to Mitsuki Cosmos and Kamui Gaia 07. They do _not_ own GW, and they _never_ will.

Kamui Gaia 07 and Mitsuki Cosmos: Hey! We girls can dream, can't we?

Heero: Yes, but you still don't own us.

Kamui Gaia 07 and Mitsuki Cosmos: :snaps fingers: Damn!

**Chapter 1: Gaia and Cosmos**

**XoXoXoXoX**

Name: Kayla Mitsuki  
Age: 20  
Colony: L3 X29810  
Description: green eyes, red-black hair  
Origin: Japan  
Parents: Unknown

Basic Report:  
Age 6, Enrolled in Spica Training Academy in 185 AC  
Age 10, Graduated from Spica Training Academy with Honors, Valedictorian; Enrolled in Orion Tactical Graduate Academy in 189 AC  
Age 13, Graduated from Orion Graduate Academy with Honors, Top Three; Enrolled in Sagittarius Political University in 192 AC  
Age 16, Graduated from Sagittarius University with Honors, Top Five as Admiral, Second Class, Type Two Unlimited in 195  
Age 20, Joins Preventors as Sakura in 199 AC

**XoXoXoXoX**

Name: Alexa Morse  
Age: 20  
Colony: L4 X78450  
Description: Amber eyes, Violet-black hair  
Origin: Northern Europe  
Parents: Unknown

Basic Report:  
Age 6, Enrolled in Spica Training Academy in 185 AC  
Age 10, Graduated from Spica Training Academy with Honors, Valedictorian; Enrollment Mission, Gains Codename Tenou; Enrolled in Orion Tactical Graduate Academy in 189 AC  
Age 13, Graduated from Orion Graduate Academy with Honors, Top Three; Enrolled in Sagittarius Political University in 192 AC  
Age 16, Graduated from Sagittarius University with Honors, Top Five as Admiral, First Class, Type Two Unlimited in 195  
Age 20, Joins Preventors as Tenshi in 199 AC

**XoXoXoXoX**

April 7, 200 AC; 7:42 AM

CSA Colony L3 Orbital Base, Eros, Training Hall

"HIYA!"

A slender, white gloved fist flies forward while amber eyes narrow.

"Hup!"

Another slender, white gloved hand blocks the punch and full red lips twitch in an amused smirk.

"Yah!"

A boot clad foot flies up.

"Umph!"

A head ducks, shoulder length black hair with red highlights flowing with the movement. The woman braces herself with a hand on the floor and sweeps out a leg, her green eyes serious.

"Hah!"

Her opponent, the amber eyed woman with black hair and purple highlights performs a back flip to avoid getting swept off her feet. The woman with green eyes and black hair with red highlights vaults to her feet and throws a series of punches and kicks while the woman with purple highlights dodges and blocks the attacks.

"Come on, Kayla, you can do better than that!" the woman says as she switches from the defensive to the offensive, her breath even.

"Urusei!" Kayla snaps, as she switched from the offensive to the defensive.

Alexa sweeps her friend off her feet and stands up, her eyes triumphant. "Ha! That's why _I_ got the honor of the codename 'Tenou' after the famed Admiral Tsukino Arashi! You need to work harder Kayla! Otherwise, you'll never be considered an appropriate candidate to take the Admiral Tsukishirou Miyuki's place as successor for the current Cosmos of the Triad!"

"Shut up, Alexa! I don't need you to rub in the fact that I'll probably never be considered a proper replacement for Admiral Tsukishirou."

The laptop set on a bleacher several yards away beeped, and Alexa walked over to it.

"Hey, Kayla!" she called, "Look at this!"

Kayla walked over and read the e-mail, and her eyes widened. "I can't believe this… We're being recruited for GTK?"

"This is absolutely too perfect!" Alexa giggled. "I can't wait to see Shinigami's face when he realizes that we're back!"

Kayla laughed. "I can already imagine his reaction. He'll be all, 'Cosmos! Gaia! What are the two you doing back down _here_!'"

The two women laughed, and for a moment, the images of the Admirals Tsukishirou Miyuki and Tsukino Arashi superimposed itself over them.

Two Lieutenants, who were sparring nearby, noticed this and froze. They blinked and the images vanished, and the two wrote it off as a figment of their imaginations. After all, the two women, who were, coincidentally, also Admirals, were clustered in front of a laptop, most likely going over parameters of a mission, or the stats of the team to which they were being assigned. Admirals Tsukishirou and Tsukino had often been spotted in the exact same positions, doing the exact same things (Well, perhaps not _exactly_ the same things, but close enough.), in the past before they died. The two Lieutenants shared nostalgic smiles and continued to spar while the two women picked up the laptop and left the Training Hall.


	3. Chapter 2: Immortal Secrets

Ayashi no Yuugi II: Final Sunrise

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.

Serenity Maxwell: The two Lieutenants thought they were hallucinating because Gaia and Cosmos, who had, several months ago, went by the names Tsukino Arashi and Tsukishirou Miyuki, while their codenames were Tenou Kotori and Tenkou Sakura. Admirals Tsukino Arashi and Tsukishirou Miyuki supposedly died in a mission gone awry on January 5, 200 AC.

In the previous chapter, it was April 7, 200 AC, and Cosmos and Gaia came back with a new mission from the Powers That Be, only this time, they are using the names Kayla Mitsuki and Alexa Morse. They look similar to their previous incarnations, and did the same thing they usually did in the past out of habit, so it's understandable that they confused some people.

I hope this clears things up!

**Chapter 2: Beginning of the End**

**XoXoXoXoX**

Name: Kayla Mitsuki  
Age: 20  
Colony: L3 X29810  
Description: green eyes, red-black hair  
Origin: Japan  
Parents: Unknown

Birth Date: March 10, 182 AC

Basic Report:  
Age 6, Enrolled in Spica Training Academy in 185 AC  
Age 10, Graduated from Spica Training Academy with Honors, Valedictorian; Enrolled in Orion Tactical Graduate Academy in 189 AC  
Age 13, Graduated from Orion Graduate Academy with Honors, Top Three; Enrolled in Sagittarius Political University in 192 AC  
Age 16, Graduated from Sagittarius University with Honors, Top Five as Admiral, Second Class, Type Two Unlimited in 195  
Age 20, Joins Preventors as Sakura in 199 AC

Current Status: Active; Codename Sakura Snow; Newly Appointed Pilot 07 of GTK; Attending to CSA Mission EX98

**XoXoXoXoX**

Name: Alexa Morse  
Age: 20  
Colony: L4 X78450  
Description: Amber eyes, Violet-black hair  
Origin: Northern Europe  
Parents: Unknown

Birth Date: June 17, 182 AC

Basic Report:  
Age 6, Enrolled in Spica Training Academy in 185 AC  
Age 10, Graduated from Spica Training Academy with Honors, Valedictorian; Enrollment Mission, Gains Codename Tenou; Enrolled in Orion Tactical Graduate Academy in 189 AC  
Age 13, Graduated from Orion Graduate Academy with Honors, Top Three; Enrolled in Sagittarius Political University in 192 AC  
Age 16, Graduated from Sagittarius University with Honors, Top Five as Admiral, First Class, Type Two Unlimited in 195  
Age 20, Joins Preventors as Tenshi in 199 AC

Current Status: Active; Codename Tenshi Tenou; Newly Appointed Pilot 08 of GTK; Attending to CSA Mission EX98

**XoXoXoXoX**

Name: Shinn Asuka  
Age: 21  
Colony: L2 X97260  
Description: Violet eyes, chestnut hair (usually in a braid)  
Origin: America  
Parents: Unknown

Birth Date: December 12, 182 AC

Basic Report:  
Age 6, Enrolled in Spica Training Academy in 185 AC  
Age 8, Graduation Exam, Gains Codename Duo in 187 AC  
Age 9, Graduated from Spica Training Academy with Honors, Valedictorian; Enrollment Mission, Gains Codename Maxewell; Enrolled in Orion Tactical Graduate Academy in 188 AC  
Age 11, Graduated from Orion Graduate Academy with Honors, Top Three; Enrollment Mission, Gains Codename Shinigami; Enrolled in Sagittarius Political University in 190 AC  
Age 13, Graduated from Sagittarius University with Honors, Top Five as Admiral, First Class, Type Two Unlimited; Joins GTK; Began Training as Gundam Pilot 02 in 192  
Age 16, End Training as Gundam Pilot 02; Begin Operation Meteor; Search for Kamui as Duo Maxwell and Shinigami begins in 195 AC  
Age 20, Kamui Power retrieved in 199 AC

Current Status: Active (Emergency Only); Attending to CSA Mission DL23

**XoXoXoXoX**

March 9, 200 AC; 3:05 PM

Colony L4, Winner Estate

Duo stalked into the kitchen and plopped himself into a chair with an irritated sigh, tugging furiously at his braid.

Quatre looked at the boy and said, "I take it that the lesson didn't go very well."

"Gee, ya think?" Duo snarled.

Quatre smiled, unfazed. "He'll master the spell."

"He had better," Duo snapped. "I'm not going to be here to train him for the rest of his life. My time in mortal guise is ending, which means I have to teach him twenty years of control in five years."

"Duo?"

"Yes, Quatre?"

"I thought you're not leaving until 208?"

"I'm Shinigami. I know when lives are going to be lost for no good reason, and there's a war brewing on the horizon."

"Duo?"

"Yes?"

"Please tell me you're joking."

"Sorry, Qat, but it's the truth."

"Oh God."

"My sentiments exactly."

"Is that why you want him to learn so quickly?"

"Yes and no."

"Huh?" was Quatre's intelligent reply.

"Yes, because we may need a Shadow Sacrifice, and no for the exact same reason."

"Oh." Pause. "WHAT?"

Wufei entered the kitchen in time to see Duo raise an amused eyebrow, looking remarkably like Zechs.

"Maxwell, do you have any idea how unsettling it is when you start imitating other people?" Wufei asked quietly.

"Death is always unsettling, Wuffers," Duo grinned.

"MAXWELL! YOUR BRAID IS MINE!"

Duo sidestepped Wufei as the Chinese boy lunged at him and gave the ponytail a nice hard yank. Wufei roared in anger as the immortal in mortal guise grinned unrepentantly. Quatre sighed, and watched resignedly as the two young men began their game of cat and mouse, inevitably destroying various expensive items.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

March 9, 200 AC; 4:39 PM

CSA Transfer Shuttle TERRA

Destination, L4 Preventor Headquarters

A young woman, age twenty, with black hair and purple highlights sat calmly in the pilot's seat of the cockpit of CSA Transfer Shuttle TERRA, her amber eyes flitting from screen to screen, never lingering on any of the three screens for more than twenty seconds at a time. The woman, known as Alexa Morse, wore her CSA Admiral's Uniform casually, and her pale face was impassive as she rattled off conditions and coordinates into the com-link in her ear.

In the back, a young woman of similar age, known as Kayla Mitsuki, also dressed in the uniform of a CSA Admiral, with black hair and red highlights, and green eyes, studied the machines around her. Her eyes flitted from the screen of the mini-computer in her hand to the machines, checking this link or that connection, constantly rattling off the status of the machinery.

Although both women's concentration was wholly on their tasks, they still recorded and analyzed the other's words and filed them into mental databases with one hundred percent accuracy. They were the second generation of CSA born Perfect Soldiers after Admirals Tsukino Arashi and Tsukishirou Miyuki.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

March 9, 200 AC; 5:59 PM

Colony L4, Winner Estate

It was an irate God of Death that stormed down the stairs and out of the house that evening, startling his four housemates, all of whom were, like him, Preventor Agents and ex-Gundam Pilots. Quatre rose to his feet, murmuring an apology to Trowa, and abandoned the chess match in favor of chasing after Death.

The blonde pilot found the American in the garden next to the lake.

"Duo?" Quatre said quietly. "What's wrong?"

"The Triad and Lady Une have come to an agreement," Duo snapped, his eyes flashing with barely restrained anger. "Two new Agents, both of whom are CSA and Preventor Agents, will be replacing the original 07 and 08. They will arrive in two hours, and they will be staying here on L4 in Arashi and Miyuki's old home, which is a thirty minute drive from the Winner Estate."

"Duo?"

"What, Quatre?"

"Calm down."

"I will not calm down!" Duo bellowed. "They're expecting me to work with two green Agents, both of whom will have to take on the most difficult, most complicated, suicide missions that the CSA and Preventors have, and they will be expected to complete them without mishaps! The last six pairs of Pilots sent to replace Tsukino and Tsukishirou failed miserably, and didn't make it through their first mission in case anyone has forgotten!"

"I'm sure this pair will last longer."

"We wish," was the immortal's tired reply.

"Duo?"

"Yes, Quatre?"

"How can you be so sure that these two won't last longer than the last twelve?"

"I don't."

"Then why not give them a chance?"

"I-I'm not sure I can…" Duo said quietly. "I know that Gaia and the others are attending to their duties in the Divine Realms, but I feel like I'd be betraying them if I admit that someone else can replace them in GTK." He smiled wryly. "Funny isn't it? Don't you find it funny that an immortal of my caliber can doubt my own ability?"

"Duo," Quatre took Duo's face in his hands and said firmly, "Immortal or not, you can't always be perfect. _I _don't expect you to be perfect. I told you this once before, and I'll say it again, when I see you, I don't see a malevolent figure in black who wanders around cutting lives short, I see _you_, Duo. I see a twenty year old boy with feelings, one who was thrown into war at a young age; I see one that killed to survive, to protect the ones he loves, one who fights because he cares. I don't see the scythe wielding figure that is Death, I see the braided American who is my friend."

He pulled the immortal into a reassuring embrace. "It's alright to feel. It doesn't make you a bad immortal; it makes you a special one."

Duo chuckled dryly. "Hey, Quatre, how is it that you, a mortal, always know what to say to make me, an immortal, feel better?"

"Sometimes the lights that burn brightest burn shortest," Quatre answered lightly.

Duo smiled a true smile and returned the hug. "I think I'm ready to go in, Q-ball."

"Hey!"

Duo grinned as he ducked under the Arabian's swing and the two friends returned to the mansion, with Duo running for his life while the Arabian chased him, throwing several good-natured death threats at the immortal.


	4. Chapter 3: Immortal Yet Mortal

Ayashi no Yuugi IIThe Final Sunrise

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers apply.

Chapter 3: Immortal Yet Mortal

Name: Lisa Hart  
Age: 22  
Colony: L2 X28965  
Description: Blonde hair; Blue eyes  
Origin: United Kingdom  
Mother: Jessica Clyne Hart (Deceased)  
Father: Patrick Franklin Hart (Deceased)

Birth Date: March 10, 180 AC

Basic Report:  
Age 6, Enrolled in Spica Training Academy in 186 AC  
Age 12, Graduated from Spica Training Academy with Honors, Valedictorian; Enrolled in Orion Tactical Graduate Academy in 192 AC  
Age 16, Graduated from Orion Graduate Academy with Honors, Top Three; Enrolled in Andromeda Reconnaissance University in 196 AC  
Age 20, Graduated from Andromeda University with Honors, Top Five as Lieutenant, Second Class, Type Three Limited in 200  
Age 21, Internship with Preventors

Current Status: Attending to Joint Investigation between CSA and Preventors; Mission IN-6; Being considered for position of Hecete in Mobile Suit Taurus Team Sadame

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

July 10, 200 AC; 8:45 AM

Sanq Kingdom Preventor Headquarters

Sally Po rubbed her temple tiredly as she put aside another stack of papers. She swore that there was more paperwork today than in the past. The door opened and an intern sent from the CSA to gain experience entered and saluted her superior.

"More paperwork, Hart?" Sally said lightly.

"No, Miss Po," Hart said lightly. "Admiral Morse from GTK is on Line 6. She wants to speak with you."

"GTK?" Wufei said, looking up from his own stack of papers. "Isn't that the team that Maxwell is in?"

"If you're talking about Admiral Shinn Asuka, Mr. Chang, then yes, the very same GTK that he is a part of," Hart said, her blues eyes sparkling with suppressed excitement.

"Thanks, Lisa," Sally said, picking up the phone.

"No problem, ma'am," Lisa said, leaving the room.

"Sally Po, Department of Investigation, speaking," Sally said.

"_Hello Ms. Po," _a female voice said over the line. _"I am Admiral Alexa Morse from the CSA GTK. I'm afraid we have a very large problem."_

"What type of problem, Admiral?"

"_We've detected the formation of a somewhat violent group in North Vietnam, and they're causing quite a bit of trouble."_

"Somewhat violent, Admiral?"

"_Mostly vandalism, they haven't attacked people just yet, but there was a great deal of damaged property found in one of the colonial embassies. We're talking more than just spray paint as well. Threatening messages were burned onto the walls of many of the rooms; twelve personal vehicles were destroyed, and let's not forget to mention several hundred thousand dollars worth of damage that was done to the computer systems. All of it seems to be related to prejudice against the colonies, which has been treated very seriously since the war several years ago. Local police forces thought they could handle the problem themselves, but they're having some difficulty. As for the CSA, I'm sure Lady Une has issued the Memo about the Triad's most recent orders. Our hands are tied at the moment, so we have to rely on the Preventors to take care of the situation. It's nothing pressing, but we'd still appreciate it if you'd send a person or two to Vietnam to check things out."_

"You've told Lady Une about this?"

"_Yes, my partner, Admiral Mitsuki, just got off the phone with her a minute ago."_

"I see. Well, I'll see what I can do. If you can have a contact waiting at the Mengzi shuttleport in China, I'll have someone on a shuttle there by tonight at the latest."

_"I have just the person. Her name is Li Meiling, Captain, Third Class, Type Four Limited. She will be waiting at the spaceport at midnight tonight. Have your person there by then."_

"Done."

_"Thank you for your help, Ms. Po. Good bye."_

"Good bye," she hung up the phone.

"What is it?" Wufei asked without looking up from the reports.

Sally took a sip of her coffee before speaking. "Vandal group in Vietnam. I'll send one of the interns to have a look."

Wufei paused and looked at her. "You think that's a good idea?"

"Lisa Hart is more than capable of handling this, I think. I'll have her check in with you periodically, if you like," she answered.

He shrugged. "Whatever."

Sally grinned. Her partner would never admit it, but he did care about the interns in their department, especially since most of them came from the CSA. He was no doubt terrified of the possible reaction of a certain American Gundam Pilot, who was also the cream of the CSA crop, should a CSA originated intern get hurt or killed while in his department and on his watch. Quickly shaking the thought out of her head, Sally pressed the speakerphone button and asked Lisa to come into the office. A moment later found the young woman standing in front of Sally's desk.

"Yes, Ms. Po?" she asked.

"Lisa, that call I just got from Admiral Morse was about a vandalism situation in Vietnam. I'd like you to go check things out for us."

Lisa's expressive sapphire eyes instantly became hard chips of ice. "I'd be happy to, ma'am," her light and cheery voice, reminiscent of Duo, had become flat and determined.

Sally blinked. The sudden transformation from happy-go-lucky into a soldier still startled her, despite the fact that she'd seen it many times, not only in the interns who had just gotten a new assignment, but in Duo and other agents of CSA origin. It just showed the amount of discipline the CSA drummed into those who would become their Agents.

"Good. This shouldn't take more than a day or two, so why don't you go home and grab a change of clothes, then report back here and take a shuttle to the Mengzi spaceport. I'll make arrangements for your docking and prepare the info we've received so far. Your contact at the spaceport is named Li Meiling. Any questions?"

"No, ma'am."

"All right then, you're set. Check in with Wufei every few hours though. Just to be on the safe side," Sally finished.

"Of course, Ms. Po. I'd better get going then," Lita said, reaching for the door.

"Don't be nervous, Hart. This is just a routine check. Your training should have you more than prepared in case something should go wrong," Sally said reassuringly.

Lisa's lips twitched, the only sign of emotion on the controlled features, and she saluted. "Right. I'll check back with you in a bit!"

With that, she left the office.

No one noticed the dark figure in the shadows spread black wings and vanish after the woman.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

July 10, 200 AC; 9:00 AM

Colony L2, Asuka Residence

Shinn Asuka, age 20, violet eyes and brown haired, a CSA Admiral, First Class, Type Two Unlimited, Pilot 02 of the GTK, Preventor Agent Shinigami, and Pilot 02 of Gundam Deathscythe Hell, Codenamed Duo Maxwell, frowned as the black vid-phone with the letters CSA stamped along the top rang. Sure, he was an active agent, but he _knew_ that his profile noted that he was to be contacted only during an emergency. He turned on the screen and the speakerphone and felt his jaw drop.

"Gaia?"

Alexa laughed, a high tinkling sound, and said, "Hello to you too, Admiral Shinn Asuka. I am Admiral Alexa Morse, First Class, Type Two Unlimited, Pilot 08 of Gundam Strike Phoenix, and your new GTK team member."

"Gaia, I thought you were in the Divine Realms?"

"I was, that is, until Cosmos---"

"Cosmos? She's here too?"

"Sure I am, Shinn!" Kayla grinned as the screen split in two to allow the three way call. "I am Admiral Kayla Mitsuki, Second Class, Type Two Unlimited, Pilot 07 of Gundam Freedom, and your new GTK member!"

"What are the two of you doing here?"

Alexa smiled indulgently at the suddenly hyperactive immortal. "I would have told you if you hadn't interrupted me with questions about a poor excuse of a goddess of existence."

("Hey!" was Cosmos' indignant reply.)

Shinn grimaced looking chagrined. "I'm sorry, Gaia, I'm just surprised to see the two of you back in the Mortal Realms again. Please, continue."

Alexa nodded. "Like I was saying, we were attending to our duties when Cosmos detected a large amount of negative energy headed for earth. We decided to investigate, and discovered it was chaos. We consulted Aries and Athena, as well as the Three Fates, and they all agreed that it was an omen of War, but not one that was supposed to take place. With this news, we went to see the Creator, and He decided that we would return to Earth and deal with Chaos, and help you train Kamui in the Magami art, that is, if you're not already finished?"

"We're about four spells away," Shinn rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly. "Now, I'm sure you didn't just call to let me know that you're back, so spit it out."

Kayla sighed and said, "Chaos arrived early last month, around March 21, I believe. His influence is spreading through the Nautilus, and they've begun causing trouble. Three days ago, the Nautilus struck against several Colonial Embassies, and did quite a bit of vandalism, yes, not their style, I know, but they left threats and over ninety hundred thousand credits worth of damage. To make things worse, just two weeks ago, the Triad ordered that the CSA is not to interfere with anything, political or otherwise until GTK and Mobile Suit Taurus Team Sadame (MSTTS) are fully staffed, so while we could watch and pass along information, we can't do anything, so our hands are effectively tied. Alexa and I ended up sending the information to Preventors, who are sending an intern to check things out."

Alexa said calmly, "Clotho says that the tapestry has been weaving itself lately, and the threads have been snapping on their own, which means another power other than Fate or Destiny is manipulating the lives of the mortals. By the way, you might want to expect a call from Wufei in about five minutes. The intern they sent to North Vietnam, one Lieutenant Lisa Hart, Second Class, Type Three Limited; to investigate the vandalism just got herself killed about five minutes ago."

"We'll call back in about two days," Kayla said, "We've got a mission to take care of."

"Don't get killed, Gaia, Cosmos," Shinn said worriedly, "While we're in mortal form here on Earth, even our threads, though immortal, can be cut."

"Don't worry about us, Shinn," Alexa said. "We'll be careful, but you better take your own advice as well."

"I will."

The screen of the vid-phone went blank, and Shinn hit the off button, severing the link.


	5. Chapter 4: Never Duo, Always Shinn

Ayashi no Yuugi IIThe Final Sunrise

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers apply.

Warning: Might be a bit of strong language.

Chapter 4: Never Duo, Always Shinn

Name: Shinn Asuka  
Age: 21  
Colony: L2 X97260  
Description: Violet eyes, chestnut hair (usually in a braid)  
Origin: America  
Parents: Unknown

Basic Report:  
Age 6, Enrolled in Spica Training Academy in 185 AC  
Age 8, Graduation Exam, Gains Codename Duo in 187 AC  
Age 9, Graduated from Spica Training Academy with Honors, Valedictorian; Enrollment Mission, Gains Codename Maxewell; Enrolled in Orion Tactical Graduate Academy in 188 AC  
Age 11, Graduated from Orion Graduate Academy with Honors, Top Three; Enrollment Mission, Gains Codename Shinigami; Enrolled in Sagittarius Political University in 190 AC  
Age 13, Graduated from Sagittarius University with Honors, Top Five as Admiral, First Class, Type Two Unlimited; Joins GTK; Began Training as Gundam Pilot 02 in 192  
Age 16, End Training as Gundam Pilot 02; Begin Operation Meteor; Search for Kamui as Duo Maxwell and Shinigami begins in 195 AC  
Age 20, Kamui Power retrieved in 199 AC

Current Status: Active; Attending Joint Investigation Between Preventors and CSA

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

July 10, 200 AC; 9:10 AM

Colony L2, Asuka Residence

Shinn Asuka, age 20, violet eyes and brown haired, a CSA Admiral, First Class, Type Two Unlimited, Pilot 02 of the GTK, Preventor Agent Shinigami, and Pilot 02 of Gundam Deathscythe Hell, Codenamed Duo Maxwell, frowned at the blank screen of the black vid-phone with the letters CSA stamped along the top on his desk. The call he had just received was surprising, to say the very least. He was an active CSA Agent, yes, but he was to be called during an emergency only, and yet, the call he'd received could not have been ranked among the so called Emergency calls that he seemed to receive, oh, so very often during peacetime. The last thing he had expected was to find that Gaia and Cosmos had a new mission, and that they would be working together once more, but it did explain the call about the emergency-that-was-not-quite-an-emergency.

He sighed as he leaned back in the chair to think over what he had discovered.

The tapestry of Fate weaving itself and the threads snapping without anyone cutting it?

Definitely Chaos's doing.

Chaos.

Chaos was helping the Nautilus. This was bad, at least for the mortals. It even explained why Gaia and Cosmos were back. And it meant that a normal uprising that was scheduled for squashing was no longer so normal, and the squashing would be damn near impossible. The call that he had ranked as an emergency-that-was-not-quite-an-emergency, was now officially an emergency call.

After all, anytime Chaos was involved, a small incident would always morph into a very _big_ emergency.

Oh, _no_, Chaos didn't _mean_ to make life difficult for the immortals on errantry in the Mortal Realms. In fact, his job was to _create_ strife so the mortals could better themselves and test their limits. But he normally sent his underlings to do the work, which meant lots of chaos, yes, but the immortals on errantry could always work around or _through_ it. But when Chaos _himself_ went to do the work was a whole other story.

Whenever Chaos decided that he'd been sitting on his immortal ass for way too long, whole _civilizations_ fell apart.

The last time he decided to do his job, look at what happened to Rome. It fell to pieces!

Oh, _no_, Chaos wasn't exactly _bad_ at his job; he was just too damned _good_ at it!

So, while Shinigami had to make sure Heero could control his power (Heero was by now, far enough along that he could control his power, so it was safe for them to have their lessons over vid-phone), he now had to undo or lessen the chaos that Chaos would cause! Oh, gee, that made his life a _whole_ lot easier!

Note the sarcasm here.

Shinn Asuka, age 20, violet eyes and brown haired, a CSA Admiral, First Class, Type Two Unlimited, Pilot 02 of the GTK, Preventor Agent Shinigami, and Pilot 02 of Gundam Deathscythe Hell, Codenamed Duo Maxwell, was _not_ a happy teenage Gundam Pilot and God of Death.

To say otherwise was to ask for a gun in the face, a scythe to the neck, and a very pissed off Immortal/Gundam Pilot in your face.

Did I mention that Shinigami wasn't happy?

The CSA vid-phone rang again, and Shinn picked up the receiver and said, "Asuka."

"_One more thing, Shinn," _Kayla's voice said. _"The Triad's just sent a Memo. They've decided that three pilots in GTK should be enough to take on missions, and that we'll do alright while they look for new agents, so members of GTK are officially allowed to get their hands dirty."_

"Finally! Thanks, Kayla."

"_No problem."_

Shinn set down the receiver and just then, the green vid-phone next to the CSA vid-phone rang, and Shinn took a deep breath, and hit the speakerphone button.

"Asuka speaking."

"_Maxwell?"_ Wufei's voice held a hint of confusion.

"Hello, Chang. How are you and to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"

"_Fine, and this is not a call for pleasure,"_ Wufei snapped, irritable now that he had ascertained that the person he was speaking to was indeed the Deathscythe Hell Pilot. _"Why can't you ever answer to your name, Maxwell?"_ he growled as an afterthought.

"Wufei," Shinn said warningly. "Duo Maxwell was my _codename_ during the war. My given name is Shinn Asuka, and I must ask you to at least remember it, even if you don't use it!"

(On the other side of the line, Wufei winced at the harsh tone of his friend's voice. Ever since the discovery of the CSA and the discovery that Duo Maxwell was merely a codename, Duo, or Shinn, no longer saw the need to maintain a cheerful front at all times anymore. He had reverted to his old/original personality, which was a combination of the personalities of all the Gundam Pilots AKA the G-boys.)

"_I take it that you were told what happened by the GTK,"_ he said.

"I was told about a vandalism group in North Vietnam and that an Intern was sent to see to it, yes. Why?"

"_The intern we sent is dead. We decided we should call you in, it'd be a good idea to get the Gundam Pilots in on this."_

Shinn sighed. "I thought so. Where and when do you need me?"

"_Mengzi, preferably in twenty-four hours."_

"I'll be there in two hours."

"_Two hours?" _ Wufei's voice was incredulous, _"Maxwell, not even the fastest Preventor shuttle can get you from L2 to Mengzi, China in two hours."_

"Wufei, the farthest CSA Colony is L11, colony HC98403 in Sector Q7. If I take a CSA shuttle, I can get from there to a shuttle port on the other side of Earth in less than two hours. If I take a CSA shuttle, I'll get to Mengzi in two hours at most."

"_Maxwell! If you take a CSA shuttle, wouldn't you be going against orders?"_

"I'm a CSA Admiral, and on of the best to boot. My GT has been reactivated since the Triad has decided that three should be sufficient to take on missions while they search for replacements for the two empty seats."

"_Very well," _Wufei's voice didn't sound convinced. _"We'll see you in China. But Maxwell, take your time. We don't need you getting hurt, or worse, killed."_

"Yeah. I'll see you in China."

Shinn hung up and turned to the CSA vid-phone and punched in the number for the CSA Colony L2 Orbital Base. The screen lit up and Noin appeared.

"_Hey, Shinn, what do you need?"_

"GTK has been put on active duty. I need a Transfer Shuttle for one from Colony L2 V76924, Sector H4 to Megnzi, China."

Noin blinked. _"The Triad only issued that Memo ten minutes ago!"_

"Trouble never rests for a moment, Noin. The Shuttle?"

"_L2 Transfer Shuttle Juliet in CSA Hanger 3 is free."_

"Thanks Noin."

"_How soon do you need it?"_

"Right now."

Noin blinked. _"A little eager to run into the line of fire, aren't you?"_

"I spent nearly four months on the Emergency only list in Preventors because of the Triad's orders, and those four months were spent doing nothing at all for the CSA. You can't blame me for wanting some action."

Noin sighed. _"I know how you feel. Can you wait an hour? We need to get the fuel tank full and make a quick check of the Logic Crystal."_

Shinn nodded. "I'll check in later then."

"_Sure thing. CSA L2 Orbital, out."_

"Asuka out."

Shinn sighed and left his study. He had a bag to pack, and a war to prevent.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

July 10, 200 AC; 11:15 AM

Mengzi, China

Mengzi, China was perhaps one of the few places that had always been aware of the CSA since it's creation in 23AC, so it was no surprise to the people when a composed figure, openly dressed in the CSA uniform, marched through the streets. The occasional tourist might see people greeting the agents with welcoming and relieved smiles, and wonder at the strange and unfamiliar uniform. Obviously, the inhabitants of Mengzi felt that the CSA did a better job protecting them than Preventors ever did. They especially liked the CSA Agents who were also Preventor Agents, since they thought that they were most likely the ones who made Preventors as successful as they currently were and the inhabitants of Megnzi were right. The people who were easily identified as CSA Agents who worked for Preventors as well, often had a Preventor badge pinned under the CSA logo on their left sleeve, and the inhabitants of Mengzi avoided these, since they were obviously high ranking CSA Agents, and were most likely on some sort of mission. Tourists especially avoided these agents at the advice of the locals.

Admiral Shinn Asuka, better known to the general public and the Preventors as Duo Maxwell, wore his CSA uniform with the badge under the CSA logo on the left sleeve, marking himself as one of the high ranking CSA Officers who was a Preventor Agent, stepped out of the CSA Mengzi Base. He had arrived in Mengzi the day before, and his contact had told him that the meeting would be held on the next day. So he ended up staying the night in the CSA Mengzi Base. Not that the Commander of the base objected. It wasn't often that the Heir of the Shinigami of the Triad would arrive too early and need a place to stay because of his relatively small blunder.

Shinn took note of his path, and hurried toward the Hilton Hotel. Most of the people merely smiled and nodded and got out of the way so he could move faster, but others stopped to wish him well. He smiled politely at a young mother who paused to show off her newborn son and to ask for a blessing, and moved on after obligingly giving his blessing. He allowed the smile to fade from his face after he passed the woman, and sped up his gait.

The people of Mengzi were convinced that the members of the CSA had some sort of power, and parents always asked whichever Agent they found to bless the child. Yes, certain Agents had some sort of power, telekinesis, fore-sight, telepathy, far-sight, empathy, and Omnyoujitsu, and more, but this was just too much!

The inhabitants took one look at his worried face and noted his harried walk, and no more proud parents came forward to ask him to bless their child, and the masses parted to let him pass. No local born and raised in Mengzi wanted to hinder a CSA Agent while on a mission; especially not one who was a Preventor, and if the mission was enough to crack the CSA Agent's famed composure, all the more reason to allow them to get to their destination faster.

Once inside the elegant lobby, he strode up to the reception desk where a brunette sat typing on the computer.

"Excuse me," he said.

The brunette looked up and broke into a smile at the sight of the CSA uniform. "How may I help you sir?"

"I am Admiral Shinn Asuka, codename Duo Maxwell. I am here to see Sally Po and Wufei Chang in the presidential suite," Shinn said briskly.

"Yes, Admiral," the woman said. "Go right on up, they're expecting you. Top floor, suite 11."

"Thank you," Shinn said, and walked over to the elevator.

Once inside the elevator, he pressed the button for the twelfth floor and leaned back against the wall. Then, somewhere around the seventh floor, a figure in a black ski mask entered the elevator. He, (Shinn assumed it was a he, but the figure had a very slight build and could've been a skinny girl), closed the door and waited for the elevator to resume its ascent. Between the ninth and tenth floors, he suddenly looked over.

"Duo Maxwell?" the voice was low and concealed the gender.

Shinn slowly turned his head to look at the figure. "Yeah?"

The lips revealed by the ski mask smiled and the figure slammed its hand against the emergency stop button. "I've been sent to kill you. Say goodbye."

A knife flashed dully in the dim light in the elevator, and Shinn's eyes widened in surprise as he twisted from the waist up to avoid getting stabbed in the eye. The knife slashed across his shoulder, drawing blood. The attacker passed the CSA Admiral and spun around and lunged forward for another go. Shinn was ready for the attack this time. Faster than a blink, his saber left its sheath and batted the knife away. In one smooth motion, he struck the would-be assassin with the hilt. The would-be assassin crumbled to the ground, unconscious.

Shinn studied the figure on the floor and said calmly as he slipped his saber into the sheath, "Kill me? Really. Now, let's see who the assassin is."

He knelt beside the body and gently pulled off the mask. His eyes widened in shock. "Gods…" he whispered. "You're only a child!"

Swiftly, Shinn searched the body, and found an ID in one of the pockets. His eyes narrowed dangerously.

Experiment DX249  
Codename: Tenshi  
Age: 12  
Purpose: Nautilus Assassin and Mole

Shinn stood up, drawing his saber once more. His eyes had become icy cold. "Child or not, I cannot allow you to live. May your next life be better than this one." His saber descended, and blood pooled around the body. Shinn dropped the ID on the body and snapped a chiburi, and sheathed the saber.

He opened the escape hatch and, ignoring his bloody shoulder, climbed up the cables to the next landing, then opened the doors. He was relieved to find no one around as he casually shut the doors, walked down the hallways to the stairs, and climbed the remaining two floors.

He knocked on the door of Suite 11, and the door was answered by a familiar blonde.

"Hello, Quatre," Shinn said calmly.

Quatre smiled. "Hello, Duo." Quatre studied his friend and his blue eyes widened when they landed on his shoulder, where the cloth had been slashed. The red material was dark with Shinn's blood, and the wet patch was spreading steadily.

"Duo!" Quatre yelled. "What the hell happened!"

Quatre's shout attracted the attention of the six people inside the room. Sally, Zechs, Hilde, Wufei, Trowa, and Heero came running.

Wufei saw the wound immediately and snapped, "I thought I told you to be careful, Maxwell!"

"I was," Shinn said calmly.

"Then what is that?" The Shenlong Pilot roared.

"This," Shinn gestured toward his shoulder, "is a twelve year old assassin by the name of Experiment DX249, Codename Tenshi."

"You got hit by an assassin?" Zechs said, shocked.

"I wasn't expecting the Nautilus to send a twelve year old!"

"Did you follow through?" Sally said.

"I'm attacked by an assassin and you ask me if I followed procedure?" Shinn asked, incredulous. "Of course I followed procedure and followed through!"

"Follow through?" Quatre said, confused.

"You killed him," Heero said bluntly.

"Yes," Shinn answered, his eyes blank.

"You killed a twelve year old boy?" Trowa asked.

"Yes."

"He was a twelve year old boy!" Wufei yelled. "You said so yourself!"

"I was trained to kill at age 6," Shinn said calmly. "All of us, Gundam Pilot and CSA Agent alike, were trained to kill from an early age. There is no innocence in a child who is capable of killing."

"I think I preferred Duo Maxwell to Shinn Asuka," Wufei said quietly, his eyes showing his horror at the calm with which Duo had stated that fact.

Shinn's eyes became sad and wistful, and he said quietly, "That's why I was against telling Lady Une about the Hidden Colonies and the CSA in the first place. I knew you wouldn't like to see the part of people who are trained to kill at an early age, trained to become Perfect Soldiers that could easily blend into the crowd."

Zechs, Hilde, and Sally nodded in agreement.

"You all relied so heavily on his happy-go-lucky mask," Zechs said, "and once Preventors knew about the CSA, then the Records of the Agency members would have to come out. The records contain everything, including personality reports throughout the agent's life. Once Preventors had the records, the masks that we wore would drop, since they would be obsolete, all of them, including the codename Duo Maxwell."

"None of us wanted you to shatter your own illusions," Sally said, "Since you relied so heavily on Shinn's mask, you'd built your lives around Duo Maxwell. The moment the mask dropped, your lives came crashing down around you, and you had to rebuild, you had to compensate for the lack of smiles and jokes, you had to compensate for the lack of a braid to threaten. If living with a person who didn't exist made you happy, we were willing to allow you to live with the illusion of truly knowing Duo Maxwell. Gods only know that after all that you've done, you all deserve it."

"And as long as you knew Shinn as Duo Maxwell, you would give him a reason not to return to the CSA," Hilde added. "As long as you lived with the illusion that Shinn Asuka was Duo Maxwell, his mission, to give the Gundam Pilots a reliable friend who would always be there, would remain in effect. As long as you believed that Shinn Asuka was Duo Maxwell, you would always have the Jester at your side, and Shinn would never have to return to the front lines and risk dying before his time as Tsukino and Tsukishirou did. But once you found out that Duo Maxwell wasn't real, that there was only ever Shinn Asuka, that mission was aborted, and the Gundam Pilots no longer had a friend who would always be there. Duo Maxwell ceased to exist, and Shinn Asuka returned to the front lines to keep the Nautilus from starting another war."

"Enough of these melancholy thoughts!" Shinn said suddenly. "We're waiting for Lady Une, right? So let's go inside and wait!"

The group entered the living room, and Shinn took off his jacket and the white dress shirt underneath so Sally could tend to his injury. While they waited for Lady Une, the Gundam Pilots thought over the consequences of their actions nearly four months ago.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

Night fell.

The group waited.

Lady Une never came.


	6. Chapter 5: Mission LU176

Ayashi no Yuugi II: The Final Sunrise

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers Apply.

Warning: May contain strong language.

Chapter 5: **Mission LU176 **

Name: Kayla Mitsuki  
Age: 20  
Colony: L3 X29810  
Description: green eyes, red-black hair  
Origin: Japan  
Parents: Unknown

Birth Date: March 10, 182 AC

Basic Report:  
Age 6, Enrolled in Spica Training Academy in 185 AC  
Age 10, Graduated from Spica Training Academy with Honors, Valedictorian; Enrolled in Orion Tactical Graduate Academy in 189 AC  
Age 13, Graduated from Orion Graduate Academy with Honors, Top Three; Enrolled in Sagittarius Political University in 192 AC  
Age 16, Graduated from Sagittarius University with Honors, Top Five as Admiral, Second Class, Type Two Unlimited in 195  
Age 20, Joins Preventors as Sakura in 199 AC

Current Status: Active; Codename Sakura Snow; Newly Appointed Pilot 07 of GTK; Attending to CSA Mission EX98

**XoXoXoXoX**

Name: Alexa Morse  
Age: 20  
Colony: L4 X78450  
Description: Amber eyes, Violet-black hair  
Origin: Northern Europe  
Parents: Unknown

Birth Date: June 17, 182 AC

Basic Report:  
Age 6, Enrolled in Spica Training Academy in 185 AC  
Age 10, Graduated from Spica Training Academy with Honors, Valedictorian; Enrollment Mission, Gains Codename Tenou; Enrolled in Orion Tactical Graduate Academy in 189 AC  
Age 13, Graduated from Orion Graduate Academy with Honors, Top Three; Enrolled in Sagittarius Political University in 192 AC  
Age 16, Graduated from Sagittarius University with Honors, Top Five as Admiral, First Class, Type Two Unlimited in 195  
Age 20, Joins Preventors as Tenshi in 199 AC

Current Status: Active; Codename Tenshi Tenou; Newly Appointed Pilot 08 of GTK; Attending to CSA Mission EX98

**XoXoXoXoX**

Name: Shinn Asuka  
Age: 21  
Colony: L2 X97260  
Description: Violet eyes, chestnut hair (usually in a braid)  
Origin: America  
Parents: Unknown

Birth Date: December 12, 182 AC

Basic Report:  
Age 6, Enrolled in Spica Training Academy in 185 AC  
Age 8, Graduation Exam, Gains Codename Duo in 187 AC  
Age 9, Graduated from Spica Training Academy with Honors, Valedictorian; Enrollment Mission, Gains Codename Maxewell; Enrolled in Orion Tactical Graduate Academy in 188 AC  
Age 11, Graduated from Orion Graduate Academy with Honors, Top Three; Enrollment Mission, Gains Codename Shinigami; Enrolled in Sagittarius Political University in 190 AC  
Age 13, Graduated from Sagittarius University with Honors, Top Five as Admiral, First Class, Type Two Unlimited; Joins GTK; Began Training as Gundam Pilot 02 in 192  
Age 16, End Training as Gundam Pilot 02; Begin Operation Meteor; Search for Kamui as Duo Maxwell and Shinigami begins in 195 AC  
Age 20, Kamui Power retrieved in 199 AC

Current Status: Active (Emergency Only); Attending to CSA Mission DL23

**XoXoXoXoX**

March 11, 200 AC; 4:00 AM

Mengzi, China; Hilton Hotel, Twelfth Floor, Presidential Suite 11

"_So you're saying Lady Une never showed up?"_

"Precisely."

"_We'll let the Triad know, and then come up with the proper plan of action. Don't worry Shinn, we'll find her, and if the Nautilus have her, well, let's just say that they'll be neck deep in shit."_

"You have such a lovely way of putting things," Shinn said dryly.

"_Lady Une's one of our superiors who's missing," _Kayla snarled. _"We won't rest until the assholes that took her pay."_

"Good luck, girls," Shinn said quietly. "We're relying on you to get Lady Une back. She's the only one who has all the information we need about this problem."

"_Don't worry, Shinn," _Alexa replied. _"We'll bring her back, and if she's dead, you can bring her back."_

"Nice to see someone's confident in my abilities," Shinn replied.

"_In the meantime, guard Relena!" _Kayla snapped.

"Yeah, I'll see to it."

"_Good. Alexa out."_

"_Kayla out."_

"Shinn out."

"Calling in the cavalry?"

Shinn yelped in surprised and spun around to stare into amused blue eyes. "Don't sneak up on me like that, Quatre!"

"Sorry!" Quatre smiled unrepentantly, "I didn't mean to startle you."

Shinn snorted. "Yeah, right."

"Now, what was that I heard about you bringing back someone who's dead? Don't tell me your next assignment is to bring back a corpse as well as guarding Relena."

"You're very hilarious, Winner," was the dry reply. "I'm laughing so hard, I think I'm going to die. Ha, ha, ha."

"Does it have anything too do with your gift?"

Shinn nodded. "I can bring the dead back to life, provided that I get to them within twenty-four hours of their death."

"Wow," Quatre looked thoughtful, "That's scary." The blonde grinned at Shinn and said lightly, "I can already picture it, decaying zombies following you around like cute little ducklings. Quack, Argh, Quack, Argh."

Shinn shuddered and said, "That's just creepy, Quatre. Zombies and cute little ducklings shouldn't be in the same vicinity, much less the same sentence."

Quatre looked quizzically at Shinn and said, "I didn't know that Shinigami could get creeped out."

"Well, this Shinigami is currently mortal, and has every right to react like a mortal and be scared by things that scare mortals. Besides, I work in the Send-The-Souls-Off-For-Judgment Department, not the Turn-The-Dead-Into-Undead-Slaves Department."

"There are Different Departments for Death?"

"Dude, there are Departments for _everything_!" Shinn cried, waving a hand, "You won't _believe_ the Bureaucracy and Red-Tape in the Divine Realms! It makes the governments here in the Mortal Realms look like children pretending to be their parents!"

"But do you get swamped with paperwork?"

"Quatre," Shinn said seriously, "I haven't been able to see the surface of my desk in the Divine Realms since the beginning of _Creation_. Last I saw, my Inbox contained seven hundred files that needed my attention." He groaned and slumped against Quatre who yelped in shock and instinctively wrapped his arms around his friend, keeping the immortal upright.

"Shinn?" Quatre said worriedly, "What is it? What's wrong?"

"My Inbox…" Shinn said miserably, "It's been nearly two hundred years since I've left the Divine Realms… I don't even want to _think_ about what the condition my Inbox is in right now."

"Well, look on the bright side;" Quatre said lightly, "at least you have all Eternity to deal with it."

Shinn groaned and pushed himself away from the Arabian and mimed bapping the Sandrock Pilot over the head.

"Don't remind me! Once Creation Ends, I'll have even more work, what with releasing souls, destroying worlds, and writing reports, going _over_ reports, delegating responsibilities, attending Immortal Meetings, sorting out squabbles in the Underworld, _Ruling_ the Underworld… I'll have more work than I can handle!"

"Wait a minute," Quatre said suddenly, "'_Ruling _the Underworld'? You have to _rule_?"

"Well, that's what I've been saying for the past three years," Shinn said dismissively.

"Shinn!" Quatre snapped, "If you're going to rule, you can get someone to help you!"

"Which means more work!" Shinn argued. "I've already told you, I already have more than enough work as it is, once Creation ends, I'll get even more work dumped onto my plate, the last thing I'll need is even _more_ paperwork to sort through!"

"Shinn," Quatre said, "You told me once during the Eve Wars that you're a Death, since there's more than enough work to go around. Now you're telling me that you'll be _the_ Death. So, here's what you do, you go to the meetings, you choose people to delegate other people and deal with the paperwork, then, those people hand in reports, and then, voila! You have less paperwork! Now, you can write your reports, _and_ you'll be able to see the surface of your desk once in a while."

Shinn looked sheepish. "I never thought of that."

Quatre snorted. "Obviously. Really, Shinn, what would you do without me as your friend?" he frowned when he noticed the sly look creeping over the American's face, and pale as what he said sank in. "No! I will not play secretary for you after Death!"

Shinn blinked and said, "I wasn't going to ask you to play secretary for me after Death. In fact, chances are, the only time you'll see me after this mission, is when you die-"

Quatre opened his mouth and Shinn grinned. "I ran that by the Creator after you found out, Quatre, and He agreed. I'll be your guide after death, for you and the other Gundam Pilots, no one else."

Quatre blinked. "Wow."

Shinn nodded and continued, "Like I was saying, the only time you'll be seeing me after this mission will be when you die, when you're being sorted and judged, and when Creation ends. And like I was saying before _that_, I wasn't going to ask you to play secretary for me; that's what the zombies are actually there for, you know; I was going to ask if you'd like to see what the Divine Realms are like. Not the Underworld though, once a mortal goes through, they don't come out unless it's for rebirth. The other parts of the Divine Realms, however, are open for sneak peeks for whatever lucky mortal is lucky enough to have made a very good friend out of an immortal. Of course, I'd have even more paperwork to deal with, and they'll have to be filed right away, but I'm sure I can arrange for an accident to put my body into a coma so I can take care of the work…" he trailed off and looked at Quatre. "I'll give you some time to think on it, Quatre, and I'll ask you again in a month. Of course, there's a chance that we won't be alive in a month, and then all of you can have a glimpse of the Divine Realms, but not like if you get a tour from an immortal who's expected to rush off elsewhere in a moment, but a glimpse nonetheless…"

"Shinn!" Quatre laughed, "You're starting to sound like your mask."

Shinn blinked and laughed. "You're right! I do don't I?"

Heero, Trowa, and Wufei arrived in the doorway of the room in time to hear the laughter, and Trowa's lips lifted slightly.

"It's been a long time since we heard him laugh, really laugh," he said.

"Aa," Heero responded. "I hate to admit it, but I missed it."

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

March 12, 200 AC; 3:78 AM

Somewhere in the Carpathian Mountians

Horrified green eyes took in the heavily fortified base as well as the open ground between them and the nearest building and turned to look pleadingly at the shadowed figure crouched patiently beside her. "Please tell me that we aren't going to break into _that_."

"Hnn."

"08?"

"Hnn?"

"Please, oh please, tell me we aren't going to attempt to break into _that_."

"We aren't going to attempt it."

"Oh, Gods, thank you!"

"We _will_ break into it."

"Damn."

"Hnn."

"Someone up there seriously hates me."

"Hnn."

"08?"

"Hnn?"

"How long will we be out here?"

Amber eyes narrowed in irritation. "As long as it takes."

"We could be out here forever!"

A slow smirk spread across the figure's pale face as two guards entered the doorway she had been watching. "Now."

"What?"

The figure growled as she grabbed her partner by the scruff of the neck. "Move it 07!" she snarled.

07 nodded in assent.

The two figures shot out of the shadows and nimbly ran along the tree limb. When it began to bow under their weight they coiled their legs and launched themselves over the highly charged and deadly sharp razor wire of the fence. Curling up protectively they struck the ground with their shoulders. Relaxing into the motion they allowed their momentum carry them along. Quickly, they vaulted to their toes as they catapulted themselves into a head long dash. There wasn't much time left.

Neither of them aimed for the main building, instead, they raced toward the guard post, dodging the beams of light that periodically swept over the grounds. Quickly, they plastered themselves against the rough side of the wall, and they waited. Through the flimsy walls could heard voices from inside the small building. Laughter. Someone had told a joke.

08's amber eyes glinted in the night. The joke was on whoever was inside, because they would soon be dead. Then the door on the side of the building opened. The men who walked out were not the same ones she had seen before. This was the new guard replacing the first. As the soldiers walked blissfully away from the building, 08 and 07 inched closer to the door. It was slowly swinging shut behind the men's departure. The two pilots made no sound as they slipped through the doorway.

Inside the building the first guards were relaxing with a cup of coffee clutched between their hands. They were busy talking and laughing at some joke. Silently, the two girls materialized behind both men. Neither man had time to warn their companion of the threat behind them, before the girls snapped their necks with one fluid motion. The cups of coffee fell from two pairs of limp hands, the hot liquid splashing against the hardwood flooring.

With brisk efficiency they began rifling through the dead man's clothes. In one of the pants pockets 08's hand encountered something. Pulling the object free of the coarse fabric, she smiled with grim satisfaction. The key card she held was their ticket into the base. Carefully placing her prize on the console behind her, she began to task of stripping the dead soldier. She was in luck. This one was only slightly taller then herself. The uniform would be a reasonable fit.

She glanced over at 07 who nodded. Her own guard was also only slightly larger than her, and his uniform would also be a reasonable fit.

08 turned to the console behind her and her fingers flew over the keys. Within a few seconds she had located the cell that contained the head of Preventors. Card key in hand, the two left the guard post, moving openly and with purpose. As long as they wore the Nautilus uniform and looked like they belonged there, it was unlikely that anything, or anyone, would bother them.

Getting into the main building wasn't a problem. Even better, the only person who saw them was a janitor. The two ignored the man made their way to the elevator. The doors were already open and he stepped inside. Pressing the button for the 2nd sub-basement, the lowest level they could get to without needing special clearance that the stolen key cards didn't have, they waited for the doors close. As soon as they did, 07 pushed open the emergency hatch in the ceiling and climbed on top of the car. Closing the hatch behind 08, the two waited for the car to come to a stop.

Curling determined fingers about the cables holding the car they climbed upwards. When they came level with one of the small service panels, 07 swung herself over that way. There was very little for her to hold onto, but somehow she managed as he worked the little mechanical hand drill, removing the screws that held the sheet of siding in place. Free of the screws she pushed the thing out, grabbing the edge before it could hit the floor beyond.

They found themselves in a deserted service corridor. 08 led the way, with 07 behind her.

If possible, they remained in the service corridors, avoiding any and all confrontations. Letting themselves into the ventilation system the two women made their way down to the 4th sub-basement. That was where they would find the Lady.

When they came to the floor in question, they paused, listening carefully for the sound of anyone in the hallway. They heard a welcome sound, the sound of nothing. Sneaking out of the ventilation shaft, they lowered themselves one by one to the floor of the hallway. It was almost too good to be true. There was no one in sight.

On silent feet they raced through the hall. They had to find cell #66489.

66438...66453...66471...

There!

Oddly enough, there were no guards. That was both good and bad. Good that neither would have to deal with one or more enemies. Bad that there was no one there with an access card for them to use.

Turning to face the cell door they noted that the locking mechanism to the side held a numbered touch pad. They would need a code...which neither had. 07 and 08 exchanged amused looks and 07 pulled out a small handheld computer, which she hooked up to the pad, and typed in a series of commands. In moments, the cell door opened.

"This is so easy it's almost obscene, 08," 07 said as she entered the cell cautiously.

A meter into the room, the overhead light clicked on. Lady Une looked up at the two women dressed in the Nautilus uniforms. 07 smiled.

"Target acquired 08."

"Good, let's go."

"Roger that," 07 stepped forward, and slipped her arm around the Lady's waist. "Can you stand?"

Lady Une nodded and made to leave the cot. Her knees buckled, but 07 didn't allow the Lady to fall. Together, they quickly left the room, and down the hall.

Suddenly, 08 frowned and made a sweeping gesture with her hand, and 07 pulled Lady Une against the wall. 08 vanished around the corner, and distantly, they heard a strangled cry and the sound of bones snapping, followed by the dull thud of bodies hitting the floor.

"Hurry!" was the hoarse command.

07 checked Lady Une again, and the two hurried out to join 08. Not to long after, klaxons began to wail, and red lights flashed throughout the base. 07 spat out a litany of curses under her breath as the three broke into a run. 08 pulled open a door and motioned the two inside. Once Lady Une and 07 were inside, she darted in after them and pulled the door closed. And not a moment too soon, for once they heard the click of the door shutting, they heard footsteps run past.

"08?" 07 said tentatively as her partner cracked the door open and cautiously looked out.

"Hnn?"

"This is a storage closet."

"Hnn," was the only reply.

Lady Une put a hand to her head. _'Thank you Pilot Obvious,' _she thought wryly. These were the replacements for Tsukino and Tsukishirou? 08, she could understand, the girl was almost like 01 in demeanor, and was, as far as she could see, the perfect replacement. 07, however, was very much like 02, or at least, what 02 had once been. Briefly, Lady Une wondered if the idiotic act 07 had going was just that, an act.

A moment later, "How are we going to get out?"

"Urusei!" was the quiet reply, as 08 closed the door. Her intense amber gaze swept through the cramped space and without another word, 08 worked her way over to it and quickly removed the grate. Holding out a hand to the others, she hissed, "Come on!"

Lady Une took the proffered hand and let 08 push her up into the ventilation shaft. She heard 07 and 08 enter the shaft behind her. There was a quiet scraping noise and Lady Une knew that 08 had replaced the grate.

"Go on," 08 said quietly.

Lady Une obeyed and crawled forward. After an indefinite amount of time 08's voice came to her. "Turn here." It was the first of many such instructions and she carefully followed all of them.

After a while, 08 stopped them and said quietly, "Rest. We'll be here for a while."

Lady Une pillowed her head on her arms and closed her eyes. The last thing she heard were the sounds of many feet running along the halls under her and the hushed argument between 08 and 07.

The next thing Une knew, 08 was shaking her awake. The stoic pilot handed the Lady a ration bar and whispered, "Eat quickly. We'll continue once 07 gets back."

"Where is 07?" Une asked as she unwrapped the bar.

08's eyes narrowed and she whispered, "The idiot's out risking her neck because she has this irrational thought that one ration bar won't be enough to keep you until we get out."

"Idiot indeed," Une murmured as she ate the bar.

"Hnn." Was all the response she got.

07 appeared moments later with a small satchel slung over a shoulder. 08 shook her head and sighed as she sat back and accepted the bottle of water that was offered to her. The three quickly finished their impromptu meal, and watched anxiously as 08 leaned against the walls of the ventilation shaft, her eyes closed meditatively as she contemplated their next course of action. Moments later, her amber eyes opened and she said, "Down that way, turn left at the first split."

And the trio started off again. Like earlier, 08 continued to give directions and Une and 07 followed them carefully. Finally they came to another grate. It wasn't dark in the room beyond. It was, in fact, brightly lit. _It looks like a computer lab_, Lady Une thought absently. At some point, 08 had worked her way up beside her. The stoic female pilot was carefully surveying the area. But it was deserted. With a satisfied grunt she motioned for Lady Une to get back. She made short work of the barrier and slipped into the room beyond. Lady Une remained in the shaft as 08 prowled the area. But nothing was amiss. At the girl's signal, she lowered himself down. Her legs refused to support her and she ended up in a crumpled heap. 07 dropped down, and helped Lady Une to her feet. The other girl looked away, focusing on the computer terminal before her.

As 07 picked Lady Une up off the carpeting she watched as her stoic partner sat herself before the terminal. Nimble fingers danced across the keys. "Whatchya doing," she asked, coming behind the girl, Lady Une in tow.

"Making life miserable for the Nautilus," was the cryptic response. But before either 07 or Lady Une could ask what she meant, the fingers stopped and 08 stood up. "Time to go." With that she pulled Lady Une and 07 over to the only door out of the room.

They stepped out into an empty corridor and 08 set a brisk pace. Though they didn't know where they were going, Lady Une kept her mouth shut. _If she's anything like 01, I'll find out soon enough_, she reasoned.

When the lights went out Lady Une's heart leapt into her throat. But when the emergency lighting kicked in, she saw the satisfied almost-smile the stoic girl wore. She seemed to have expected this to happen. Was that what she meant? Did she somehow arrange for this to happen? After all the years of fighting and commanding 01, who 08 was so like in demeanor, it wouldn't have surprised her.

Une felt the 07's slender fingers close about his wrist, and found herself being pulled forward. Without a word she followed, letting the girls lead her where they would.

Behind her, she heard shouts and the sound of an explosion. This time she couldn't see 08's face but she was sure of what she would find there; grim determination mixed with dogged satisfaction.

And it seemed that explosions and electrical fires were a common occurrence in the compound. The self-destructing equipment was providing more then enough distraction. No one was paying attention to them as they slipped through the shadows. Before long they had managed to come to the place that was obviously 08's intended destination.

It was a hanger filled with MS. Lady Une glanced at her rescuers confusedly, wondering why they weren't moving.

07 put a finger to her lips then gestured vaguely to the area before them. Between them and the mobile suits was a squad of armed soldiers. They seemed to be waiting...for them?

08 led them over to the cover of some packing crates. "Here," she pressed a hand gun into Lady Une's limp hands. "Just wait for my signal."

_Signal?_ But before Une could even form the question in her mind the stoic girl was already moving. Peering over the top of the crate she was hiding behind she watched as the Japanese pilot calmly walked towards the soldiers. At first none of them seemed to be concerned though a couple of them did keep an eye on her approach.

Une held her breath.

One of the soldiers must have seen something wrong, because a rifle was suddenly being leveled at 08. The girl didn't seem fazed by this turn of events. She simply dropped and rolled on her shoulder. When she came nimbly up on her toes, she had a pistol in each hand and was firing with abandon. And she was fast... 08, like Heero, was constantly moving, never staying in one place for more then a fraction of a heart beat.

Une watched, amazed, as the soldiers began to fall before the one-girl army they faced. A morbid fascination swept over her. This was the first time she had seen the other fight, but it did serve to confirm what she had already suspected. 08, like Heero, was most alive when she was fighting. There was a glint, a hunger in her eyes that was had not been there while she had been working to get her out.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" 07 breathed. "It's said that she may be Admiral Tsukino's avatar, since she is so much like her, from the way she asts, to the way she moves."

As Une listened to 07 and watched 08 fight, movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Looking up at the balcony she saw a man standing there, taking aim with the rifle he held.

Lady Une reacted instinctively. Taking the gun 08 had pressed into her hand, she sighted on the OZ soldier and let fly. A perfect head shot. The man fell without a sound. But the racket of her firing the shot caused 08 to glance their way...and open herself to the five men that she still faced.

07 took over instantly. Two guns appeared in her hands, and she began to pull the trigger. But as soon her shots took down one of the soldiers, the other four dove for cover.

08's gaze passed over them fleetingly as she focused once more on those between her and the mobile suits. She launched into action once more, totally in her element. But nothing was perfect. One of the guns was shot from her hands and the other one decided that it would be the ideal time to jam. Throwing the useless thing away, 08 dove for the nearest man, grabbing for the rifle he held.

07 and Lady Une continued to fire on the other three soldiers, doing their best to keep them pinned. One fell, then a second...

08 had prevailed in her struggle with the soldier who now lay in a boneless heap on the floor. Turning her new won rifle on the remaining man she fired. And with that one shot it was over. There was no one left to fight. 08 shouldered the rifle.

07 sighed and holstered the gun before helping Lady Une to her feet, and soon, they were carefully making their way from out behind the packing crates.

"Let's go."

Lady Une nodded her agreement. She didn't have to be told twice. Swarming up into the open cockpit, 07 was the first to arrive. But instead of sliding into the waiting seat, she wedged herself up behind the chair. It couldn't have been a comfortable position. The cockpits were cramped under the best of circumstances. Une didn't say anything, though. At the moment it was important that they got out of there as fast as possible.

Clambering into the pilot seat, she closed the cockpit and began the power up sequence. Not a moment too soon either. The doors to the hanger were opening as reinforcements poured in. But their little rifles could do very little to the Leos' armored hide.

The two Leos began to lift off. Turning the guns on the main doors Une lifted the beam rifle and fired, clearing their escape route. Then they were away!

The monitor over head blinked on the reveal 08.

"_/Une, enter the coordinates D45, H23, Sector Y7 Delta./"_

Lady Une asked no questions and entered the coordinates.

Inside the other Leo, 08 began typing in commands. She flipped a switch, and another monitor came to life.

**XoXoXoXoX**

March 13, 200 AC; 3:07 AM

Mengzi, China; Hilton Hotel, Twelfth Floor, Presidential Suite 11

Duo paced the living room of the suite anxiously as his companions watched him worriedly. He had already told them that the two new members of GTK were going to stage a retrieval of Lady Une, wherever she was being held. None of them could blame him for being worried, they were all aware of how the last few replacement Pilots for 07 and 08, had failed to survive beyond their first mission, despite the fact that they were promising young Agents. Suddenly, the vid-link blipped, and the American was in front of the screen immediately.

Alexa's triumphant face appeared on the monitor. _"/We've got her, 02/" _Alexa said. _"/We've got Lady Une, and we'll drop her off at the Hilton in Mengzi before moving on and destroying the Nautilus' Leos./"_

Duo breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "We'll be expecting you then."

"_/Right. 08, out./"_

"02, out."

The screen went blank.

Duo collapsed.


	7. Chapter 6: Descendant LX

Ayashi no Yuugi II: The Last Sunrise

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers apply.

**Serenity Maxwell:** All right! Glad to see that you're back and all caught up! As for Duo collapsing, he's the type of person who would worry himself sick over a certain person if he cares for them. Alexa and Kayla, or 08 and 07, as they were mostly referred to as in the previous chapter, where trying to infiltrate a very heavily fortified Nautilus base, and without any Gundams or MS. There is also the fact that the entire mission spanned almost two whole days, and Duo most likely spent all forty-eight hours worrying about his newly reborn friends, despite the fact that their immortal and not easily killed. Call it collapsing from exhaustion, if you will. As for Shinn and Duo, and the occasional resurfacing of the Duo persona, you'll soon find that 'The Braided Baka' as Wufei has so affectionately dubbed him, is never really as far away as many people believed.

Chapter 6: Descendant LX

Name: Shinn Asuka  
Age: 21  
Colony: L2 X97260  
Description: Violet eyes, chestnut hair (usually in a braid)  
Origin: America  
Parents: Unknown

Basic Report:  
Age 6, Enrolled in Spica Training Academy in 185 AC  
Age 8, Graduation Exam, Gains Codename Duo in 187 AC  
Age 9, Graduated from Spica Training Academy with Honors, Valedictorian; Enrollment Mission, Gains Codename Maxewell; Enrolled in Orion Tactical Graduate Academy in 188 AC  
Age 11, Graduated from Orion Graduate Academy with Honors, Top Three; Enrollment Mission, Gains Codename Shinigami; Enrolled in Sagittarius Political University in 190 AC  
Age 13, Graduated from Sagittarius University with Honors, Top Five as Admiral, First Class, Type Two Unlimited; Joins GTK; Began Training as Gundam Pilot 02 in 192  
Age 16, End Training as Gundam Pilot 02; Begin Operation Meteor; Search for Kamui as Duo Maxwell and Shinigami begins in 195 AC  
Age 20, Kamui Power retrieved in 199 AC

Current Status: Active (Emergancy Only); Attending to Mission in Preventors

**XoXoXoXoXoXoX**

March 15, 200 AC; 5:25 PM

Colony L2, Asuka Residence

"I'm getting much too old for this," Shinn moaned as he unlocked the door. They were just getting back from a barely successful mission.

They had spent two days investigating the death of the intern who had been sent to investigate the vandalism problem in North Vietnam, and then halfway through, they had to run off for a mission. There had been far too many complications and wrong information, resulting in not only a failed mission, but also serious physical injury to the ex-pilots. The young men were all far too exhausted to want to even think about it.

"You're hardly even twenty, baka." Wu Fei snapped at the braided male.

Shinn chuckled good-naturedly as they entered his home. "Home sweet home," he said lightly. "Anyone want something hot before I show them to their beds?"

"Please," Quatre replied as the others nodded.

Shinn grinned jauntily and dropped his duffle bag on the couch as he made his way to the kitchen.

Half an hour later, the ex-pilots had finished their tea and hot chocolate, and Shinn led the group upstairs to show them to their rooms.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

March 15, 200 AC; 6:48 PM

CSA Sanq Kingdom Headquarters

Admiral Hilde Shielbecker, Third Class, Type Four Unlimited, Commander of the Sanq Kingdom CSA Headquarters, bruised, cranky, and her arm still in a sling (She'd dislocated her shoulder while sparring against Kaze just the other day), snapped at one of her subordinates as she eyed the thick banks of dark clouds rolling toward the installation.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know, ma'am. The meteorological report is for sunny skies. There's no reports of any weather fronts in the area!"

"Then how do you explain THAT!" She waved her good arm at the black clouds.

Beneath the towering thunderheads, constantly illuminated from within by brilliant flashes of lightning, she could see the smeary film in the air that told her of torrential rains approaching.

Moments later, all hell broke loose and the equiptment began to malfunction and self destruct.

"The perimeter sensors are malfunctioning!"

"I'm not getting any readings on radar!"

The lights flickered.

"Primary power grid is down! Backup generators online!"

The lights flickered again.

"I can't contact the eastern guard posts!"

"Backup generators in sectors 1, 6, 10 are down!"

"We've lost contact with MST Fox-Tango-2!"

Admiral Hilde Shielbecker was not a happy woman.

The building shuddered and Hilde looked up at the ceiling, her eyes narrowed.

"Bring up the peripheral monitors! I want to know what the hell is going on!"

The monitors came to life to show several hundred MS flying toward them. The dozen or so in the lead were already opening fire on the base, which obviously explained the tremors running through the building.

Hilde snapped. "Issue a Condition Red!"

"Issuing Condition Red," one officer said as the klaxons began to wail. "Issuing Condition red."

"All personnel take class three battle stations."

"Beginning system wide link up."

"Multi-phase oscillation wave confirmed."

"System wide link up confirmed."

"Preparing to unfold Welle Shield!"

"Dispersing Reflecting Camouflage Cover."

"MST Fire-Bird-3, you are cleared for launch!"

"Fire-Fox- MDT Cleared for launch!"

"Docking Clamps for Type Three BattleShip Lancelot released."

"Camouflage dispersal completed, unfolding Welle Shield."

"Opening bay doors 3 and 9."

"Battleship Lancelot, you are cleared for liftoff."

"Where is the Strike Squad, Revermere?"

"Revermere is in Sector D9, Admiral."

"Send them to Sector C6."

"Yes, Ma'am!"

The building shuddered and Hilde's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Prepare the electron cannon!"

"We're not getting any response from Jaeger 7!"

"Loading electron cannon."

"Power up the Beam Rifle."

"We've lost contact with Sector G6!"

"Beam Rifle at twenty percent!"

"Wella Shield power is dropping!"

"Unfold the Secondary Wella Shield!"

"All F9 pilots please stand by!"

"Unfolding Secondary Wella Sield!"

"MST-Rembrant 7 has flat lined!"

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

March 16, 200 AC; 12:05 PM

Colony L2, Asuka Residence

Though everyone had gone to bed before what most considered evening, the house saw no activity come morning. Quatre awoke shortly after noon and decided to get up instead of lying in bed like he wanted to. Instead he got, grabbed his bag, and went to take a shower.

None of the pilots had suffered any broken bones or anything truly major, an absolute miracle considering how the mission had gone. Quatre suffered from a sprained wrist on his left hand, and his left shoulder had been dislocated; nothing permanent, the bone had easily gone back into the shoulder socket. He had three bruised ribs, and various cuts, scrapes, and bruises all over his body. He even had a small cut on his right ear where the first bullet had grazed him. That's when all the trouble had started. Quatre shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts, wanting to enjoy his shower, even if he had only one hand to wash with. The water was pleasantly warm, working magic on his sore muscles. _I should leave some hot water for the others, though there is no telling when they will wake up._ Quatre decided to indulge himself for a little while longer before finishing up and going downstairs.

_Everybody's still asleep, but then it's been almost a full day's rest._ He headed to the kitchen, intent on seeing what there was to eat, if there was anything to cook with. He blinked upon entering the kitchen. On the counter, under some netting, was plates of bacon, eggs, toast, pancakes, bowls of oatmeal, porridge, treacle, jars of jelly and slabs of butter. The coffee maker had been set, and the pot was full. There was a kettle on the stove, already filled with water, ready to be heated. Beside everything was an open laptop, on which a screensaver reading 'Message from 02 to his guests' blinked from one part of the screen to another.

Wondering as to when Duo would have gotten up to set everything up, Quatre dissolved the screensaver to find a file on the desktop also labeled 'Message from 02 to his guests.' He opened the file to be met with Shinn's impassive face and blank eyes. From what the Arabian could see, he was wearing a suit similar to the one he had worn during the Nautilus Strike incident.

"_/So you're all finally awake. Good. As you may have already noticed, I've prepared breakfast for you. I'm not expecting you to eat it all, just take what you like and put any leftovers in the fridge. The CSA Sanq Headquarters is under attack, and I've been called off to provide backup, so I'll probably be gone for a while. Feel free to use what ever you find in my house. There is only one catch, nothing is ever what it seems, and my house is no exception. There are some very dangerous things that I'm sitting on, by order of the Triad, so my suggestion is don't go into the cellar or the basement, no matter how curious you are. There may be a few other things scattered around my house that I haven't gotten around to securing, so if Quatre says don't touch, don't touch. If he says hide, hide, if he says—well, you get the idea. There is a shooting range in the attic and a state of the art computer system in the southeast corner of the garage, so have fun. Until new orders come in, make yourselves at home. Quatre, I'm putting my faith in you and your 'Space Heart', so keep the others safe and out of trouble, alright? 02 out./"_

Quatre sighed. "Oh, Duo," he said sadly, "That Triad of yours are real slave drivers." He helped himself to some toast and porridge with a cup of coffee. He mused over Duo's words as he ate, and when he finished, he dropped off his dishes in the sink and went into the living room to write his report.

March 16, 200 AC; 12:05 PM

CSA Sanq Kingdom Headquarters

"_/02! There are five MS coming at you from the left/"_

Shinn spun his Gundam around, and fired the Vulcan guns, obliterating the enemy MS. His eyes were blank as he piloted the Descendant LX Gundam with ruthless efficiency. He grunted as he was thrown painfully against his safety harness, and he pushed a button, and his beam saber ripped through the cockpit of the Aries that had dared ram him.

March 16, 200 AC; 2:15 PM

Colony L2, Asuka Residence

Quatre had been sitting at his laptop working on the report for almost two hours, getting more frustrated with each passing quarter hour.

Trowa entered the living room in time to see the Arabian flop backwards onto the couch, muttering furiously about dismantling the 'Damn piece of crap.'

"Quatre?" he asked. "Are you all right?"

"Fine."

Trowa raised an eyebrow.

"So where is our good host this morning? Surely he's not still sleeping?"

"Nope. There's a laptop in the kitchen with a message for all of us. That Triad of his are real slave drivers, you know?"

March 16, 200 AC; 2:35 PM

CSA Sanq Kingdom Headquarters

Shinn glanced at his perimeter sensors and fired of another round from his rifle before he was thrown roughly against his harness. His eyes narrowed as this time, as the sensor beebed, signaling an enemy coming in from behind. The Gundam turned to face the enemy MS…

There was a sudden burning in his abdomen…

And everything went black…

**XoXoX**

Inside the headquarters, Hilde, busy trying to maintain control and keep her people alive, never noticed the destruction of her best friend's Gundam. Inside their cockpits, Alexa and Kayla watched in horror as the Gundam Descendant LX went up in flames.

"NOOOOO! SSSHHHHIIIIIINNNNNNN!"


	8. Chapter 7: Immortal Threads Can Be Cut

Ayashi no Yuugi II: The Final Sunrise

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.

Chapter 7: **Immortal Threads can be Cut**

_A figure clad in a wine colored robe, with a long chestnut braid falling down his back to his knees carrying a scythe in his hand with outstretched bat wings stood in the swirling vortex of blacks, green, blues, reds, and violets. He floated in the darkness, ignoring the swirling and shifting colors that made up Existence, his head bowed as his pale face was bathed in a white light that was the Creator…_

"_Are you willing to do what you must to guard this earth, Shinigami?"_

"_Yes my Lord."_

"_Then go to Earth. With Omnyouji, Sakurazukamori, Gaia, and Cosmos, start up an orginiation to guard and train those blessed by me, and seek out Kamui. Bring back the 'Kamui' Power without killing Kamui, if possible, and see to it that Kamui can live a peaceful life."_

"_Yes my Lord."_

"_Shinigami, you will have to tear humans from their lives rather than guiding them during this mission. Are you willing to end the lives of these mortals before their time?"_

"_No, my Lord, but I will do so none the less."_

"_Then go. You will meet your companions on Earth, and you will do my will. All will have been arranged by Gaia."_

"_Yes my Lord," Shinigami said, bowing his head deferentially._

_He faded out of the vortex that made up Existence, the only place that the Goddess of Existence, Cosmos, did not rule. So now he would work with three immortals with whom he did not get along with, as well as one who was his servant. Omnyouji and Sakurazukamori would follow the wills of Gaia, Cosmos, and himself, but what of the remainders? From what he understood, Gaia would follow Cosmos, if Cosmos should decide to command her, but to his understanding, neither he, Cosmos, nor Gaia enjoyed being ordered about. So who would command this mission?_

Excerpt from Ayashi no Yuugi: Chapter 14: Wishful Memories

**XoXoXoXoXoX**

March 16, 200 AC; 2:35 PM

CSA Sanq Kingdom Headquarters

Shinn glanced at his perimeter sensors and fired of another round from his rifle before he was thrown roughly against his harness. His eyes narrowed as this time, as the sensor beebed, signaling an enemy coming in from behind. The Gundam turned to face the enemy MS…

There was a sudden burning in his abdomen…

His head falls back, amethyst eyes widen, the pupils shrink into tiny dots, and his lips part as blood rushes out followed by a sharp exhalation…

And everything went black…

**XoXoX**

Inside the headquarters, Hilde, busy trying to maintain control and keep her people alive, never noticed the destruction of her best friend's Gundam. Inside their cockpits, Alexa and Kayla watched in horror as the Gundam Descendant LX went up in flames.

"NOOOOO! SSSHHHHIIIIIINNNNNNN!"

**XoXoXoXoXoX**

March 16, 200 AC; 2:35 PM

Colony L2, Asuka Residence

In the kitchen, Quatre froze as his 'Space Heart' registered something wrong. It took a while to figure it out, but when he did, the Arabian felt a horrifying numbness spreading through his body and mind. The cup of coffee in his hands fell to the floor, the mug shattered against the pale blue ceramic tiles, and the hot liquid splashed over his shoes and on the legs of his pants, but Quatre paid it no attention.

All his attention was locked on the emptiness in that part of him which held his bonds with all of his dearest friends…

"…ner?"

"…tre?"

"Winner!"

Quatre heard his remaining friends as if from far away…

"Duo…" the word left his lips in a nearly inaudible whisper. "Allah, No!" the small blonde cried as he collapsed on the wet tiles, sobbing.

"Quatre!"

A pair of hands grabbed his shoulders. Quatre raised his head to see Trowa's concerned face. Behind him were Wufei and Heero, both of their eyes showing concern.

"It's Duo…" he choked out, "He's gone… I—I can't feel him anymore!"

**XoXoXoXoXoX**

_In the Darkness, a single thread within a single large tapestry releases a steady hum. The thread is pitch black, the color so dark that it glows. Suddenly, the gentle glow flares dangerously, and the thread snaps in two with a resounding CRACK! The glow surrounding the two pieces fades, and the humming falls silent._

_The sudden snapping of an immortal thread causes the three women sitting before the tapestry to freeze, and for a long while, there is no movement from the women sitting before the tapestry. And then, after a long moment that seemed to encompass Eternity, the women begin to move once more._

_The white haired woman, sitting at her spinning wheel, turns her head toward the sound and raises a slender and pale hand to her wide open cherry lips in horror, her blind eyes, covered in a milky white film, widens, and the barely visible pupil shrinks into an almost nonexistent dot._

_Beside her, the golden haired woman with bronze skin carrying the measuring tape stares at the tapestry, her golden eyes and face blank of emotion. The air around her flexes, revealing her agitation._

_Beside the golden haired woman, is another woman, she has a dusty complexion and dark raven locks. Her eyes are black swirling pools, with neither iris nor pupil. She looks at the tapestry, and her eyes narrow fractionally, but her face is otherwise impassive._

**XoXoXoXoXoX**

March 16, 200 AC; 2:55 PM

CSA Sanq Kingdom Headquarters

The Savior Gundam and Guardian Gundam tore through the enemy MS ruthlessly. The vid-links were shut off, leaving only the radio on. No one knew that inside the cockpits of the two Gundams, the two pilots had silent tears streaming down their faces.

All anyone knew was that the loss of one of their comrades had spurred the two to a new height, and there was only silence coming over the radio, silence and the occasional grunt of assent to a new instruction or the warning shout to the remaining comrades.

All around the two was a sea of death and destruction.

Shinn may have been Death, but in a mortal form, even an immortal thread can be cut.

The Nautilus would pay for cutting his thread…

**XoXoXoXoXoX**

_A single white light appeared in the darkness, and in the midst of it was the dark figure of a being with outstretched wings, radiating love, forgiveness, loyalty, mercy, and benevolence. At the arrival of the Being, the three women bowed. The figure raised a hand, and pointed at the tapestry, and a beam of light shot forward from His finger, and enveloped the tapestry. The broken pieces of the Dark thread soaked in the light, and the benevolent being vanished. The Dark thread trembled and the two ends came together, seeking the other, and melded seamlessly._

**XoXoXoXoX**

_It's dark…_

_It hurts…_

_A flash of gold..._

_Warm blue eyes…_

_Brown hair…_

_A single flash of green…_

_Cold blue eyes…_

_Clicking of a laptop…_

_A pale figure performing a kata…_

_Onyx eyes…_

_Who are you?_

_You seem… familiar…_

_Do I know you?_

_Why are you so sad?_

_It hurts..._

_Help…_

_Please…_

_It hurts…_

**_It hurts…_**

**_IT HURTS…_**

**_IT HURTS!_**

**XoXoXoXoXoX**

Kamui Gaia 07: Dundundun! So, Duo is, for all intents and purposes, dead. I'm so evil!

Mitsuki Cosmos: What was with the light and the thread?

Kamui Gaia 07: Who's in pain?

Mitsuki Cosmos: Find out more in the next chapter!


	9. Chapter 8: Immortal Soul, Mortal Heart

Ayashi no Yuugi II: The Final Sunrise

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers Apply.

Chapter 8: **Immortal Soul, Mortal Heart**

_Immortals live for such a long time, that despite the company of their brothers and sisters and fellow immortals, they suffer through long years of loneliness. Despite the nightmare and the trials that is immortality, the heart of an immortal is sure and calm. Because of this, when an immortal falls in love, they will love one person, and only that person, and no one else. Therefore, the Creator forbade love between an immortal and a mortal, for such loves are fleeting, and the death of the mortal would sunder the two for all eternity, and thus heighten the pain that surrounds an immortal life…_

**XoXoXoXoX**

Kamui Gaia 07: We have decided on a pairing at long last!

Mitsuki Cosmos: And no, we will not change our minds.

Kamui Gaia 07 and Mitsuki Cosmos: We have decided on a pairing, and that is that! There will be no changing of our minds! The passage above should have already told you that!

**XoXoXoXoX**

_It's dark…_

_It hurts…_

_A flash of gold..._

_Warm blue eyes…_

_Brown hair…_

_A single flash of green…_

_Cold blue eyes…_

_Clicking of a laptop…_

_A pale figure performing a kata…_

_Onyx eyes…_

_Who are you?_

_You seem… familiar…_

_Do I know you?_

_Why are you so sad?_

_It hurts..._

_Help…_

_Please…_

_It hurts…_

_**It hurts…**_

_**IT HURTS…**_

_**IT HURTS!**_

**XoXoXoXoXoX**

March 16, 200 AC; 11:56 AM

Colony L2, Asuka residence

Quatre Raberba Winner woke later that evening to find the link he'd thought had been lost was back in place. Slowly, his hand moved to his chest, resting right over his heart, a slight smile of relief tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Shinn…" he said quietly to the darkened room, "don't you ever scare me like that again, my friend."

As he slipped back into the warm embrace of sleep, he thought he saw a dark figure with a braid extract itself from a shadowed corner of the bedroom, a small smile of amusement on its lips.

He thought he could hear the familiar voice of the Deathscythe Hell pilot's laughter and the mock hurt whisper, "So much faith in me…"

And with a quiet chuckle, the small Arabian slipped away into the warm darkness.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoX**

March 17, 200 AC; 4:49 AM

CSA Sanq Kingdom Headquarters

The battle had ended nearly seven hours ago, when Admirals Alexa Morse and Kayla Mitsuki decimated the enemy troops. There had been few casualties, but it had been enough, especially since the Gundam piloted by CSA Admiral Shinn Asuka, First Class, Type Two Unlimited, was destroyed. They had lost another Heir of the Triad, one who, like the Admirals Arashi Tsukino and Miyuki Tsukishirou, would be next to impossible to replace.

Rescue workers now combed steadily through the wreckage that had been Sector D7, the computer labs of the CSA Base. Here and there, they found the pieces of the defending Gundam, the Descendant LX, which had been piloted by the Admiral Shinn Asuka.

Suddenly, one of the workers gave a shout. Others raced over, and found the impossible, the cockpit of the Descendant LX, still intact, although the console was damaged beyond repair, with the Admiral still strapped inside. There was shard of glass jammed into his shoulder, and in his abdomen. Miraculously, he was still breathing, although in shallow gasps that were beginning to slow. They could hear his breath rattling as he inhaled, evidently his lungs were filling up with fluid.

"We've got to get him to Medical!" a worker yelled as the others rushed forward to free the Admiral from the damaged cockpit.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoX**

March 17, 200 AC; 6:00 AM

Colony L2, Asuka Residence

The pilots were roughly roused from their beds by Wufei's voice that morning.

"Get up! Now!" the Nataku pilot bellowed.

Trowa was jolted awake, and was on his knees beside the bed, a gun in hand, before his eyes had time to focus on the floor. His heart was beating twice as fast compared to a minute ago, and his senses where on high alert.

In the next room, Heero was instantly awake. He grabbed the gun from under his pillow and kicked the door open and launched himself into the hallway, his gun trained at the stairs. Heero's eyes scanned the area, taking in everything at once, analyzing and recording it in his memory with one hundred percent accuracy. Nothing.

Across the hall, Quatre jolted awake, and had his gun in hand as he flung the door open and launched himself out into the hall, dropping onto one knee, training his gun on the window behind Heero. He allowed his senses to wash over the house, seeking out hostile auras and emotions, only to find an irate and thoroughly upset Asian Pilot downstairs.

Downstairs, as if realizing what his bellow may have unconsciously communicated to his fellow pilots, Wufei harrumphed and called up the stairs, "Get down here, now! It's Maxwell, he's hurt, and Sally says that he might not make it, so we'd better leave now if we want to see him while he's alive!"

**XoXoXoXoXoXoX**

April 1, 200 AC; 9:07 PM

CSA Sanq Kingdom Headquarters, Infirmary

**Shinn/Duo's POV**

At first, there were only voices.

"... too long already."

"... should have been dead." I know that voice… Sally…

"...sure there isn't any brain damage?" Hilde…

Slowly, I rose to the surface of consciousness, listening to the sounds around me. Where am I?

"There was minor damage, but evidently... the scans show somehow... it seems to have repaired itself." Sally, again.

Gradually, I became more aware. I could feel a burning pain with each breath I was forced to take. A breathing tube.

"We'll have to wait and see." Sally.

Slowly, the memories resurfaced…

_Battle_

_Earth_

_Insufficient reaction time_

_Burning in abdomen_

_Gundam destroyed_

_Console self-destructing_

My hands twitched, unconsciously reaching for controls that weren't there.

"He moved." Is that… Heero?

"Muscle spasms." Sally.

_Sharp pains in chest_

_Bubbling during inhalation_

_Lungs filling with fluid_

_I'm still…alive?_

_Impossible…_

I furrowed my brows. Something was wrong.

"No." Wufei's voice. "Look, he moved."

I felt fingers on my forehead, gentle fingers.

"He's waking up. Duo? You hear me? Open your eyes, Duo." Trowa?

I choked on the tube. Panicked. It had to come out. Now.

"Calm down, Duo. Relax. You are in medical." Quatre's voice. Fingers continued to lightly stroke my face. "Breathe with the flow. It helps you. Calm down."

I gave up resistance, slowly opening my eyes. I blinked furiously at the light. There was a face above me. Quatre. It took me another minute before I could focus on that face. He looked horrible. He had dark shadows under red-rimmed eyes.

A bright light shone in one of my eyes and I averted my head, annoyed. The gentle fingers on my forehead were snatched away. I frowned. I wanted those fingers back, it had felt... nice.

"Shinn. Look at me." Sally leaned over me. "Do you know where you are?"

I nodded, once.

"Do you remember what happened?"

I nodded, again.

"I'm going to remove the breathing support."

I took a deep breath on my own as the thing came out of me and promptly had a coughing fit. My throat hurt. It hurt to breathe. "Water," I managed, hoarsely. Heero reached over, got me a cup, and held it to my lips. I took a few careful sips and the cool liquid soothed my throat.

"How?" I managed afterwards.

"You were caught from behind," Alexa said.

"No shit," I croaked. "How and why am I still alive?"

"We're not quite sure," Kayla said quietly, "The Descendant LX blew into pieces, and apparently, the blast blew the cockpit out of the Suit. We found it amazingly intact, but for the ruined console and the broken monitors. You were still strapped inside, and had several broken ribs, a broken leg, your left shoulder was dislocated, and there were shards of glass imbedded in your abdomen and your right shoulder, and one of your ribs had punctured a lung, as well as various bruises and cuts, and second degree burns on various parts of your body."

Sally said, "You were flat lining as you arrived in medical. I revived you. But, your brain was without oxygen long enough to cause brain damage."

I looked up at her, alarmed. "What?"

"You should be dead. A babbling idiot, at least." She shook her head, "not that you weren't already," she continued teasingly.

I narrowed my eyes, but chose not to answer the insult, while Sally continued seriously, "I didn't think you'd make it. Under normal circumstances, you'd be comatose; a constant-care patient, depending on life support. But..." she trailed off. "It took your body two weeks to repair the damage, with medical support. You really are hard to kill."

"Two weeks?" That was amazing. To come back from the dead, literally. Then again, as an immortal, I can never die, my mortal form may age, but the body can't die, and even if it did, my immortal soul would merely revive the body, or move on to the Divine Realms to take on a physical form before returning to Earth to finish the mission.

"You always did have the devil's luck," Quatre said lightly, "I guess Death couldn't handle you, eh, Shinn?"

I forced myself to smile. "You look like hell, Qat. Something happen to you too, while I was out?"

He averted his eyes, embarrassed.

"No," Sally said, "the idiot hardly left your side. It took two of your gang to convince him to go to sleep, once in a while. They took turns watching you."

"Oh." I blinked. I should have expected that. This was Quatre we were talking about; of course he would do something like this.

Enough, now." Sally said briskly. "I'd like to take a few tests from our patient, here. Go sleep, all of you." She dismissed them with a wave of her hand. "He'll be fine, now. You can talk later."

Quatre nodded, reluctantly got up from his chair at my bedside and hesitated, his hand reaching out to mine, laying on the sheet. But, before he could touch me, he snatched his hand back, turned abruptly and left the room. The others gave curt nods before following. I stared after them until Sally cleared her throat. I looked up, wide-eyed, and she smirked at me.

"He really was worried, you know?"

"Uh-huh," was all I could manage.

"So, you up for a few tests?"

I groaned.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

(Normal POV)

April 3, 200 AC; 3:09 PM

Colony L2; Asuka Residence

Sally had finally allowed Shinn to leave, and the first thing Shinn had done was arrange for a transfer shuttle home.

Lady Une, being the considerate woman she was, had put the other ex-pilots on the reserve lists so they could spend some quality time with their injured and out of action companion.

The Triad, however, were not so accommodating, and the moment Shinn was cleared for release from Medical, Alexa and Kayla were swept off with a flurry of new missions, while the injured pilot was given papers to push.

At the moment, Wufei was busy practicing his katas in the backyard. Trowa was at a warehouse several miles away, working on his Gundam. And Quatre was in the library, reading. In the meantime, the recently-revived-from-the-dead God of Death, was attempting to teach Heero how to summon a high level paper spell servant, a feat that normally should have been ridiculously easy, considering Heero's current skill and power level. This lesson was, however, made much more difficult by the student's worry of overexerting the teacher.

"Heero, pay attention!" Shinn snapped irritably. "If your concentration falters for even a moment, the results could be disastrous, especially with your amount of power! Stop worrying about me, and worry about getting the spell done right!"

The Japanese pilot sent the braided male an ineffectual glare before closing his eyes and concentrating on the paper spell in front of him.

Half an hour later, Heero FINALLY managed to make the spirit manifest itself. Shinn rubbed his temples tiredly and said, "Very good, now dismiss it, and we'll end the lessons for today."

After three near disastrous attempts to dismiss the Spell Servant, Shinn barked a command and the servant vanished. He then leveled a smoldering glare on the Wing pilot who suppressed the urge to cringe.

Ever since the discovery of the CSA and the disposal of the mask called Duo Maxwell, the pilots had found that the Deathscythe pilot was capable of leveling a glare that could reduce even the Perfect Soldier into a whimpering heap. Then again, only Shinn and Quatre knew that it was the immortal behind the mortal flesh that could intensify the look enough to cow the Perfect Soldier.

"What is the matter with you, Heero?" Shinn demanded. "You don't normally have such problems during the lessons. If you're worried about me overexerting myself, then allow me to remind you that for me, these lessons are more of a mental and magical exercise than a physical one. Keep in mind that with your level of power, one mistake, even a minor one, can have serious consequences, so you _have_ to concentrate on your spell instead of on me! If I feel tired, I will stop the practical lesson, and I will have you study the theory. I've told you all of this once before."

Heero nodded. Shinn sighed and picked up his crutches and rose.

"We'll leave it at that for now. By this time tomorrow, I want you to be able to perform that spell with no mishaps, and we'll start on the Theory for the Spirit Voice. Hopefully, we can start on the next and last lesson, the theory for the spell that your power was shaped for, the Shadow Sacrifice, by the tenth, and end your training on the thirteenth."

As he spoke, the shimmering black lines of the protective bubble around them faded and soaked slowly back into the injured pilot.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

Shinn found Quatre sitting on the window seat in the library, looking out at the small, manmade lake positioned directly under the window. The window was open, allowing the fragrance of the lilies floating in the lake to drift into the room with the breeze.

"There used to be a time, when lilies were buried with the dead, in hopes that the sweet fragrance would be enticing enough that I would lead the spirit safely to the afterlife," Shinn said quietly from the door.

Quatre nodded to show that he had heard, but didn't answer.

"I doubt that the ancient humans never realized how useless that gesture was. So long as they believed, we would exist, and as long as we existed, we would fulfill the duties we were created for." Shinn leaned the crutches against the wall and walked forward to stand directly behind the small blonde. "Even so, the first thing I was aware of at the moment of my creation, was the scent of lilies, and even after all these years, they remain my favorites out of all the flowers offered during the rites of death."

"Then it explains why most of your hair care products are lily scented," Quatre said quietly.

Shinn allowed a small, sad, smile to grace his lips. "You've been unusually quiet lately, Quatre. Is something wrong?"

Quatre looked up at his friend and felt his chest constrict painfully. "It was… That time, two weeks ago… When you left for that mission…"

Shinn's eyes narrowed fractionally as an idea began to form in the depths of his mind. In the meantime, his breath caught in his throat, as he watched those beautiful sapphire pools fill with tears. _'This is forbidden.' _He thought. _'I can love, but I cannot keep. No matter how badly I want to, I can never keep.' _His face was composed.

"I thought… For a while… I thought for a while… I thought that you'd left us…"

Shinn reached over and gently pulled the Arabian into a gentle embrace. "I'd never leave before the set date, Quatre. I run and I hide, but I never tell a lie."

Quatre let out a choked sob as his tears began to fall. "Still… After a while… I could sense you again… Then that call… I still can hear Wufei's words… 'It's Maxwell, he's hurt, and Sally says that he might not make it, so we'd better leave now if we want to see him while he's alive!' I was terrified that we'd loose you… We'd already lost 'Duo' and even 'Shinn' was better than nothing, since both are technically the same person…"

"Hush… I'm still here, Quatre… I'm still here…"

Shinn felt a pang of guilt in his heart. _'I am the cause of his tears. Of his pain. If my mortal form had indeed died, his pain would be so much worse. He'll hurt even more when I leave… But the pain won't compare to if he knew, and if I left… Best not to tell him… Spare him the pain… Forbidden… What I want, what I could give him, what he wants, what we could share, what we could have, all forbidden…'_

"And then there was Sally, listing all your injuries… And her words, 'He may never wake up'… God, Shinn… I was so scared…"

Shinn swallowed hard. _'Forbidden, the Creator forbade this! This is forbidden! I can befriend, I can care, I can help, I can love, but I may never profess! It's forbidden!'_

He felt something in him break as Quatre's words trailed off, and the small blonde wept uncontrollably into his chest.

Gently, Shinn slid his fingers under the Arabian's chin, tilting his head up so amethyst eyes locked with sapphire, and whispered, "To hell with the rules," and gently brushed his lips with his own.


	10. Chapter 9: Dominion Road

Ayashi no Yuugi II: The Final Sunrise

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.

Ha! It's a 2x4 pairing! It's not that I don't like a 1x2 fic, it's just that there are already too many of those out there. Honestly, you don't find many 2x4 fics out there.

Chapter 9: **Dominion Road**

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

_The ivy hung thick over the door, the key was buried under the shrubs, no human being had passed that portal for ten lonely years—and yet inside the garden there were sounds. They were the sounds of running scuffling feet seeming to chase round and round under the trees, they were the strange sounds of lowered suppressed voices—exclamations and smothered joyous cries. It seemed actually like the laughter of young things, the uncontrollable laughter of children who were trying not to be heard but who in a moment or so—as their excitement mounted—would burst forth. What in heavens name was he dreaming of—what in heaven's name did he hear? Was he losing his reason and thinking he heard things which were not meant for human ears? Was it what that far clear voice had meant?_

**--The Secret Garden--**

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

April 3, 200 AC; 3:45 PM

Colony L2, Asuka Residence

Whatever Trowa had been expecting when he entered Duo's library, the sight of the braided pilot and the small blonde locked in a passionate kiss had not been one of them. He smiled gently before backing out of the room and quietly closing the door behind him to give the two some privacy.

'_Poor Heero,' _he thought mildly as he walked away, _'it looks like he doesn't have a chance with Duo after all.'_

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

Inside the library, the two parted, and Quatre stared at Shinn for a while before leaning his head on his shoulder.

"Do we have a chance?" Shinn whispered, pulling the Sandrock pilot close, looking out the window as he spoke, his violet eyes dark with passion. "Are you willing to take this chance, Quatre? We have nothing to lose, and everything to gain."

"Yes…" Quatre murmured, closing his eyes, "we do have a chance…"

Shinn swallowed hard. "I'm glad…" he whispered as he took possession of Quatre's lips once more.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

April 3, 200 AC; 10:28 PM

CSA Colony L4 Orbital Base, Futune

Admiral Kaze Haruka, Second Class, Type Two Unlimited, Commander of the CSA L4 Orbital Base, Futune, and Pilot 06 of GTK, better known to many as Zechs Marquise of the Oz Military or Milliardo Peacecraft of the Sanq Kingdom, glared at the remaining files waiting for his attention from under his mask as he moved a stack of papers off to one side of his desk. The amount of papers he had been going through lately was tiring to say the very least. The fact that he also had paperwork from Preventors to go through didn't make him any happier. In fact, if he didn't have the type of control he was known for, he'd slump back into his chair with an exasperated groan. Instead, he only allowed the faintest hint of a frown tug at his lips. He glanced at the clock on his desk and heaved a resigned sigh as he reluctantly pulled another file toward him and picked up his pen.

When was the last time he'd seen the mahogany surface of his desk at the Orbital Base? A corner of his mind wondered absently as his eyes skimmed over the report. And when was the last time he saw the oak surface of his desk at Preventors Headquarters?

_The first day I arrived in the office, _a small voice supplied.

Just thirty-two more minutes. He just had to last thirty-two more minutes, and he'd be allowed to leave his office for his quarters next door for the next five hours. That is, if an emergency didn't come up.

It would be an absolute blessing if no emergencies came up, considering that the CSA had been fighting off wave after wave of attacks from the Nautilus for the past few weeks. The L4 Orbital Base Futune and the L2 Orbital Base Remliel were the only CSA Bases not yet under attack, but that didn't mean that the personnel were not in Class 4 battle stations and on Code Blue Alert, and it most certainly didn't mean that on duty Pilots were not on stand-by.

Kaze heaved another sigh as he scrawled his signature on the dotted line and pulled another paper from the open manila folder toward him. Tiredly, he began to read.

His attention was suddenly pulled away from his work when the lights in the Orbital Base flashed red and klaxons began to wail. His eyes narrowed behind his mask and he hit a button beside him on the desk.

"Marsten!" he snapped, "What's going on?"

"_/We're under attack, sir/" _his aide said, sounding faintly panicked.

Sure enough, the Base shuddered and the sound of explosions could be heard.

"Nautilus?"

"_/Unknown, but most likely./"_

"Send out MST Desert-Fox-7! I'll be right down!"

"_/Yes sir/"_

Damn it! First the Sanq Headquarters, now the Futune. Zechs fumed as he pulled open a drawer and grabbed the gun inside, slipping it into his jacket after checking that the safety was on and that it was loaded, and pushed himself away from the desk, pausing to pick up his saber from the rack behind the desk. He walked briskly to the door, clipping the saber to his side as he went, mentally checking off the small arsenal on his person.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

April 4, 200 AC; 4:13 AM

Honolulu, Hawaii; Cockpit of Saviour Gundam

"You did WHAT!" Alexa yelled, glad for once that the cockpit of the Savior Gundam had been soundproofed.

This was unbelievable!

Shinn, the ever obedient Shinigami, had broken one of the Creator's decrees, and fell in love with a mortal! Alright, so the falling in love part wasn't illegal per say, but what _was_ illegal was that he had confessed his feelings to said mortal!

And even worse, the mortal could die at any second! Especially since he was Quatre R. Winner, pilot 04 of the Gundam Sandrock, and one of the top Preventor Agents!

This was absolutely unacceptable behavior for a high level immortal of Shinn's caliber!

On the other screen, Kayla had leveled a smoldering glare at the God of Death.

"_/It may not be illegal to become infatuated with a mortal, those types of things fade over time, and eventually, you forget about the mortal all together. But to confess to the mortal that you have feelings for them is to bind yourself to them, and you will never look at another person again, regardless of whether or not you hold their heart in your hand. Quatre's death will break you. Shinn, you should also know that Lord of the Underworld or not, neither you nor Quatre will ever see each other again except in passing, and neither of you will be able to stop and talk to the other. At least, _you_ won't have the time, considering that you have your own responsibilities as Shinigami and Lord of the Underworld./"_

On the other screen, Shinn winced.

"_/I know, but one minute he was crying on my shoulder and I was telling myself that I couldn't and shouldn't confess my feelings to him, and the next thing I knew, we were in the middle of a lip lock./"_

"That's still no excuse for breaking the Creator's decree," Alexa snapped, glowering.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoX**

April 4, 200 AC; 5:28 AM

CSA L4 Orbital Base, Futune, Central Command Center

The battle had gone on through the night, and controlled panic was seeping through the CCC of the Futune. Admiral Kaze Haruka, Second Class, Type Two Unlimited, Commander of CSA L4 Orbital Base, Futune, and Pilot 06 of GTK, better known by many as Zechs Marquise or Milliardo Peacecraft, was not at all, a happy man. In fact, he was itching to get inside his Tallgeese and start blowing up the enemy MS and MD, but duty had him confined to the commander's chair in the CCC (Central Command Center).

"Firing Electron cannons!"

"We've lost contact with SF-9!" (Scout Fleet 9)

"SP Remore in Sector 4 has flat lined!"

"Bogey at .3 d'arcies, 4.6 kilometers in the East!"

"Prepare for mine warfare!"

"Dropping mines!"

"Outer wall in E-ring, Sector 2 has been breached!"

"Closing airtight doors!"

"Welle shield power is dropping!"

"Prepare to unfold the Secondary Welle shield."

"Firing EMP."

"Unfolding Secondary Welle shield."

"Emp power at ninety percent and dropping!"

"Welle shield has been set up!"

"Launching Battleship Skylock!"

"Launching Mobile Suit Team Aries Tenshi!"

"Fire Hybrid Cannons!"

"CSA Carrier Bethor is fifteen kilometers away and closing."

"Firing Hybrid Cannons!"

"Emp power at eighty-three percent and dropping!"

"We've lost contact with MST Fire-Bird-5!"

"Have all personnel in the E-ring been evacuated?" Zechs said.

"Currently, we can account for 9.98 percent of the personnel form the E-ring, sir," an officer said.

"Send a call for Mobile Suit Space Patrol Gamma 9 (MSSPG9), and if possible, see if either Admiral Morse or Admiral Mitsuki can come. I have a suspicion that we are going to need all the help we can get."

"Yes sir!"

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

April 4, 200 AC; 5:37 AM

Colony L2, Asuka Residence

The house was silent that morning, and most of the pilots had yet to wake. But in the master bedroom, Quatre R. Winner was roused from his slumber only to find himself alone in the large bed.

"Duo?" he whispered, staring groggily at the empty space beside him. Only half awake, the Sandrock pilot had unconsciously switched back to calling the immortal by the alias he had borne during the Eve Wars.

The fact that his love wasn't in bed soon traveled to his mind at warp-speed, and in point three seconds, all signs of grogginess had vanished from the Sandrock Pilot's face.

"Duo!"

Quatre's eyes landed on the crutches leaning against the wall beside the bed. Duo, being Death, had no need for the crutches, as his injuries healed five times faster than a normal human, but if he were in the house, no matter how late or early, he would keep the crutches with him in case one of the other pilots were awake.

The fact that the crutches were leaning neglected against the wall where Duo had left them the night before meant only three things: that he was a) in the hanger under the house, b) in his hidden office under the house, or c) in one of his multiple MS, which were normally stored in the hanger under the house, and on a mission.

The clothes that the immortal had worn to bed last night were thrown neatly over the back of a chair, and his laptop, normally on the desk at a right angle to the door, was gone as well.

His eyes wide at the simple thought that Duo, although immortal and not truly injured, was on a mission; the Arabian panicked and rushed over to the bookshelf, and hit the hidden button that he had been told was there. The hidden door slid open with a quiet hiss, and Quatre ran down the dim stairwell which led to a hallway leading to the braided pilot's private office, and in turn, down to the hangers where his MS and Gundam were normally kept.

He ran down the hall and came to a stop in front of a metal door, and quickly punched in the code given to him, and shifted from one foot to the other impatiently while the door slid open with a nearly inaudible hiss. He ran down the hall and turned down the right hand corridor and threw the cherry wood door open. The small blonde froze for a fraction of a second, and nearly collapsed with relief at the sight of the immortal sitting at his desk, a pile of papers in front of him.

Shinn looked up from his papers in surprise when he heard the door get flung open, and blinked at the sight of the terrified but relieved look on his blonde love's face. Shinn felt worry bubble up in his chest, the Sandrock pilot looked like he was about to collapse.

"Quatre?" he said gently.

"I—I thought…" Quatre trailed off embarrassedly.

"You thought I'd left on another mission?"

Quatre nodded mutely, flushing, and Shinn chuckled affectionately as he rose and walked over and pulled his love into a reassuring hug.

"Baka," he scolded gently, "Considering the near disastrous ending of my previous mission, I'm hurt that you'd think I'd actually leave again without telling you." Shinn smiled gently as he captured Quatre's lips with his own.

They pulled apart, and Shinn continued, "After last night, the last thing I'd want is to cause you more pain, and if I really had gone on a mission, you wouldn't have come running into my study, now would you? You would have run down to the hangers to see if my MS was still there. And, even if they are slave drivers, the Triad wouldn't send an injured pilot out into the battlefield unless it was absolutely necessary."

Quatre flushed in embarrassment, and Shinn chuckled, a low rumbling sound from inside his chest, as he leaned down, touching his forehead to Quatre's, his hand on the back of the small blonde's neck.

"Anata wa… honto ne… kawaii, Quatre-kun," the immortal murmured before capturing the small blonde's lips once more for a passionate kiss.

(Kamui Gaia 07: I'm sure I messed this up! I was going for **"You really are cute, Quatre."**)

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

April 4, 200 AC; 6:41 AM

CSA L5 Orbital Base, Ambriel

Admiral Dorothy Catalonia, Third Class, Type Four Unlimited, Pilot 02 of Gundam Team Hamied (GTH), Commander of CSA L5 Orbital Base, Ambriel, was by no means a happy woman.

Five attacks had been made against her Base in the past three days, and though she had successfully fended them all off, she had no doubt that the Nautilus were just getting warmed up. Repairs had yet to be made to the C-ring in Sector D4, or the F-ring in Sector G5. All the attention of the Orbital Base's personnel was on their duties, and the entire Base had been put on Code Blue Alert, and all Pilots were on stand-by.

Other bases at each Lestrange Point had been fending off attacks as well, and the nine CSA Space Patrols at each Point were on high alert. The six Carriers in each Lestrange Point were cloaked and floating near each of the three Orbital Bases at each Point.

The current Base under attack was the Futune at Lestrange Point 4, in Sector Alpha Omega Pie. But it wouldn't do to forget the Bases on Earth, oh, no, even those were under attack. So far, the CSA were pinned, leaving Preventors to take up the slack at guarding the Earth and her Colonies. The best Preventor Agents were either on leave or pinned to the Commander's Chair in one or another CSA Base, fending off attacks, which meant that although the Preventors could take action if necessary, they wouldn't be at their best.

Of the Five Original Gundam Pilots, one was injured, but the moment he was fully recovered, he'd be swept off by the Triad with a flurry of missions, darting from one Lestrange Point to the other, then from Lestrange Point to Earth, and from one part of the planet to the other, then from Earth to Lestrange Point, and on, and on, and on, in a never ending cycle, leaving Preventors one Gundam Pilot short.

Things were so bad that even Admirals Alexa Morse and Kayla Mitsuki had split up, and the two were flitting from Lestrange Point to Lestrange point, from Lastrange Point to Earth, and from one side of the planet to the other, and back.

In other words, the CSA ranks were stretched thin, very thin.

At least one thing was for sure, no one could say that the Nautilus Leaders were stupid anymore.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**


	11. Chapter 10: Crescendo

Ayashi no Yuugi II: The Final Sunrise

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.

Chapter 10: **Crescendo**

_The big dog's eye jerked wide open as his breath was suddenly cut off. He tried to twist free of the noose, but Teri stood straight up, lifting the Labrador half off the ground, his forequarters suspended helplessly from the knotted belt. His legs lashed out, kicking wildly as he searched for something to brace himself against, and then his lips curled back as he bared his fangs. His hind legs, still touching the ground, clawed hopelessly at the lawn as he tried to free himself from his tormentor, but as Teri began jerking on the belt, yanking it first one way and then the other, he lost what little traction he had._

_The struggle went on, eerily silent in the darkness of the foggy night, and for a moment Teri thought she might lose her grip on the belt._

_But then, with a sharp snap, the battle came to an abrupt end._

_Blackie's body, sixty pounds of violently thrashing bone and muscle, suddenly went limp as his neck broke, severing his spinal cord._

_Teri held on to the belt for a few more seconds, until she was certain the dog was dead. Then, half carrying Blackie's corpse and half dragging it, she went back into the house and started up the servant's stairs._

**--Second Child by John Saul--**

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

April 5, 200 AC; 3:34 AM

CSA L2 Orbital Base, Remliel

Admiral Lucrezia Noin, Second Class, Type Two Unlimited, Pilot 04 of Gundam Team Hamied, and Commander of the CSA Orbital Base, Remliel, felt her lips twitch in amusement as her On-Duty Officers rattled off conditions and orders. Her eyes were fixed on the ninety nine monitors, flitting from one screen to the other, her eyes never lingering longer than thirty seconds at a time on a single screen. Quickly, she made her decision to use the Siegfried Units.

She rose to her feet, drawing her saber as she did so, and swung it, pointing the tip at the 17x23 inch screen in the very center of the mass.

"Prepare the Siegfried Units!" she cried, her voice clear, "We'll blast them out of our Sector!"

Her bold declaration was followed by a moment of silence as all the officers stared at their superior in shock.

The Siegfried Units were highly destructive, and could only be fired off once every 48 hours. To fire all the Siegfried Units at once also meant drastically weakening the outer wall of the G-ring, where the Units had been placed. It also meant that the outermost hull of the G and J-rings, their main defense, would require repairs if they wanted to survive the next wave of attacks, which would inevitably come.

Then, they came back to life, and the CCC of the CSA L2 Orbital Base was once more filled with the voices of the officers and the clacking of keys and the bleeping of signals and sensors.

All along the outer wall of the G-ring of the Base, a series of hexagonal portions of the hull, spaced twenty meters apart, pulled in and moved up, and large energy cannons moved outwards through the openings.

The enemy faltered for a moment, surprised by the sudden appearance of the weapons, and surged forward once more.

"Powering up Siegfried Units!"

"All Mobile Suit Teams and Gundam Teams, Retreat to the Carriers," an officer said into her headset. "Repeat, all Mobile Suit Teams and Gundam Teams, Retreat to the Carriers."

The CSA pilots maneuvered their suits back toward the carriers.

"Carriers, please set up fission shields!" another officer called into his headset. "Repeat, Carriers, please set up fission shields!"

Each CSA Carrier was instantly surrounded by opaque shields of crackling green energy. The last CSA MS entered the fission shields.

"Fire Siegfried Units!" Noin commanded.

Energy collected at the mouth of the cannons, and the enemy drew back in dismay.

"Firing Siegfried Units!"

Each cannon fired off a single blast of sparkling silver and grey energy, and the enemy MS fled. It was too late, however, and all the enemy suits and carriers in range of the Siegfried Units were destroyed. The hull of the G-ring groaned and base floated away several dozen yards before the thrusters along the J-ring fired to life, stabilizing the Base.

"Sensors show that about thirty percent of the enemy is left, Admiral!"

Noin's lips turned upwards in a cool smile and she sat back in her chair, and her saber flashed to her side and up to shoulder level before swishing to point at the third screen on the right in the fifth row. "Weasel Unit," her voice was ominously soft, and her lips twitched before her voice rose into a shout, "TOTAL ASSAULT!"

"Pulling back Siegfried Units!"

"Weasel Unit, system wide link up confirmed!"

In the G-ring, the Siegfried Units were pulled back into the Ring's outer walls, and the walls slid down, and forward, closing off the cannons seamlessly. Along all the other Rings along the Orbital base, more guns, energy cannons, and missile launchers emerged from the outer walls. The remaining enemy, after witnessing the Siegfried Units' destructive power, was wary of the large arsenal that had emerged from the walls of the CSA Base, increasing the Remliel's destructive power.

"Weasel Unit, target acquired!"

"Fire Weasel Unit!"

The guns and energy cannons opened fire, and the covers of the missile launchers opened and each missile was launched. The area around the Orbital Base in a thirty kilometer radius was a myriad of destruction as carriers, battleships, and MS went up in flames and spectacular explosions. No enemy forces survived the Weasel Unit's onslaught.

The Orbital Base shuddered and everything fell still.

In the CCC, Admiral Lucrezia Noin smiled coldly as she watched the panoramic view of the Nautilus forces' destruction. Her saber slid silently back into its sheath, and the officers watched their superior warily.

Admiral Lucrezia Noin, Second Class, Type Two Unlimited, Pilot 04 of Gundam Team Hamied, and Commander of the CSA Orbital Base, Remliel, had just shown her enemies and officers that there was a part of her personality that was brutal beyond measure.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

April 5, 200 AC; 3:34 AM

CSA L4 Orbital Base, Futune

Admiral Kaze Haruka, Second Class, Type Two Unlimited, Commander of the CSA L4 Orbital Base, Futune, and Pilot 06 of GTK, better known to many as Zechs Marquise of the Oz Military or Milliardo Peacecraft of the Sanq Kingdom, allowed himself the luxury of a relieved sigh as his chin dropped to his chest. The last of the Nautilus forces had been beaten off, and he had managed to win with few casualties and damages.

Vaguely, he wondered if Noin's Base had been attacked yet, and if it had been, was she alright?

"It's been a long fight, Admiral," his aide, Marsten said, from the console beside him.

Zechs nodded tiredly. The normally uncomfortable Commander's Seat, which had irked him no end throughout the battle, now seemed very comfortable.

"You should get some rest, Admiral," Marsten continued, a knowing smirk on her lips, "You can write the report when you wake later on."

Zechs nodded in agreement as he heaved himself out of the Commander's Chair, and left the CCC to stagger to bed.

Goodness only knew he deserved it.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

April 5, 200 AC; 3:43 AM

CSA L5 Orbital Base, Ambriel

Admiral Dorothy Catalonia, Third Class, Type Four Unlimited, Pilot 02 of Gundam Team Hamied (GTH), Commander of CSA L5 Orbital Base, Ambriel, was by no means a happy woman. She was once more under attack, and there was another breach in the base's outer wall, this time, in the D-ring.

"Prepare the Faulkner Units!" she snapped.

"But Admiral," her aide, Elise Conners, said, "If we use the Faulkner Units, The blasts will damage the C-ring to the point where we'll have to jettison the entire Ring itself!"

Dorothy closed her eyes and said, "We only have two choices, Elise, use the Faulkner Units, and live to fight another day, or don't use the Units and die. I don't know about you, but I'm not going to back down simply because we'll be one Ring short of a full defense if we fire the Faulkner Units."

"But, Admiral--"

Dorothy's eyes snapped open, and she snarled, "I don't have time for this, Elise! Fire the Faulkner Units!"

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

April 5, 200 AC; 3:53 AM

Colony L2, Asuka Residence

Quatre Raberba Winner woke to the sensation of a pair of lips pressing to his forehead, and the warmth he had come to associate with the Deathscythe Hell pilot moved away. Instinctively, his hand shot out, and he felt his finger close around…

…Rubber, polyester, and plastic?

His eyes shot open and widened at the sight of Shinn dressed in his protective suit, helmet in hand, looking at him with sad violet eyes, his face impassive. He sat up quickly, if Shinn was dressed for a MS battle, which meant only one thing…

"Duo…"

Shinn set his helmet down on the bed and ghosted a gloved hand lightly down the Arabian's face.

"I'll come back," Shinn whispered, "Yakusoku da!" (It's a promise!)

He bent down and brushed the blonde's lips in a quick kiss and gently pulled out of his grip. Quatre watched as Shinn grabbed his helmet off the bed and vanished out the bedroom door with determined strides, his chestnut braid swinging behind him, with only a slight limp to show that his leg was broken.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoX**

Heero opened the door at the sound of an uneven stride, and got the shock of his life when he saw Duo walk down the hall with a slight limp to show that he'd ever been injured, dressed in a protective suit.

"Duo?" the Japanese pilot winced at the uncertainty in his voice.

Shinn paused and said quietly, "I have to go, Heero. There isn't much time left. You'll have to study on your own. I was hoping we won't need your Magami power, but it looks like we might need your power after all."

Hero blinked and Shinn sighed.

"Take care of the others, and my previous instructions still stand."

And he limped down the stairs and out the door.


	12. Chapter 11: Symphony

Ayashi no Yuugi II: The Final Sunrise

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers apply.

Serenity Maxwell: Thank you for your compliments! In fact, I get the vague feeling that if I only had more reviewers like you, more of my fics would get finished! ;; Hehe…

Mitsuki Cosmos: Anyway, I was going through all the reviews for the Ayashi no Yuugi stories, and I think we get the most reviews out of you. :Lowers voice to a whisper: And look what you've done! We're not even done with the Final Sunrise, and you've got Kamui Gaia 07 ready to write a sequel for this fic!

Kamui Gaia 07:Squashes Mitsuki Cosmos with a giant world encyclopedia: Don't listen to her, she's just exaggerating.

Misuki Cosmos:Muffled by giant encyclopedia: No I'm not!

Kamui Gaia 07:Waves hand at readers: Why are you still up here? Read on:Yelps and jumps to the side as a very disgruntled Mitsuki Cosmos comes out from under the giant encyclopedia and chases her around the computer, waving Wufei's katana:

Wufei:Chases after Mitsuki Cosmos: Onna! Give me back my katana!

Duo:Sweatdrops: And I thought I was insane… Read on!

Chapter 11: **Symphony**

_The quality of mercy is not strain'd ---_

_It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven_

_Upon the place beneath; it is twice blest,---_

_It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes:_

'_Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes_

_The throned monarch better than his crown;_

_His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,_

_The attribute to awe and majesty,_

_Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;_

_But mercy is above this sceptred sway,---_

_It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,_

_It is an attribute to God himself;_

_An earthly power doth then show likest God's_

_When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,_

_Though justice be thy plea, consider this,---_

_That, in the course of justice, none of us_

_Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;_

_And that same prayer doth teach us all to render_

_The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much_

_To mitigate the justice of thy plea;_

_Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice_

_Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there._

**--The Merchant of Venice, Act IV, Scene I—**

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

April 6, 200 AC; 3:43 AM

CSA L5 Orbital Base, Ambriel

Admiral Dorothy Catalonia, Third Class, Type Four Unlimited, Pilot 02 of Gundam Team Hamied (GTH), Commander of CSA L5 Orbital Base, Ambriel, was by no means a happy woman. She was once more under attack, and there was another breach in the base's outer wall, this time, in the D-ring.

"Prepare the Faulkner Units!" she snapped.

"But Admiral," her aide, Elise Conners, said, "If we use the Faulkner Units, The blasts will damage the C-ring to the point where we'll have to jettison the entire Ring itself!"

Dorothy closed her eyes and said, "We only have two choices, Elise, use the Faulkner Units, and live to fight another day, or don't use the Units and die. I don't know about you, but I'm not going to back down simply because we'll be one Ring short of a full defense if we fire the Faulkner Units."

"But, Admiral--"

Dorothy's eyes snapped open, and she snarled, "I don't have time for this, Elise! Fire the Faulkner Units!"

Elise flinched and turned back to her console and began typing in orders. A moment later, she said, "Activating Faulkner Units."

The base lurched violently and started to drift out of orbit. Dorothy's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Firing all thrusters in E-ring!"

The base stopped moving, and straightened out in orbit.

"This is Admiral Dorothy Catalonia speaking. All personnel please evacuate the C-ring!" Dorothy called into the speaker, which allowed her to page the entire base. "I repeat, all personnel please evacuate the C-ring!"

The words on the monitor in front of Elise stopped scrolling and the words 'CHECK COMPLETE' appeared on the screen in green.

"System wide check complete, Faulkner Unit, all systems green."

"All pilots, return to base and Carrier at once, repeat, all pilots return to base and carrier at once!"

"Attention, all carriers and battleships please raise fission shields, repeat, all carriers and battleships, please raise fission shields!"

Outside the base, all along the C-ring, square portions of the C-ring, 20x20 meters, each spaced fifty meters apart, opened outward, and the muzzles of several cannons moved up, and out of the square openings.

"Powering up Faulkner Units!"

Energy began to collect at the mouth of each cannon. Like with the forces at the Remliel Base, the enemy began to pull back.

"Fire Faulkner Units!"

Like at the Remliel Base, the enemy realized their danger far too late, and the Faulkner Units fired a blast of silver and grey energy at the enemy, destroying any MS, MD, carrier, or battleship that was not safely ensconced within a fission shield.

The strain of firing the Faulkner Units was too much for the C-ring, and the hulls buckled and broke open.

"C-ring hull has been breached!"

"Sensors indicate that the Faulkner Units took out 80 percent of the enemy!"

"C-ring equipment is malfunctioning!"

"Jettison the C-ring!" Dorothy called.

"Releasing Ring clamps!" an officer called.

Explosions were running through the C-ring at an impossible rate. Then the ring split into four, and they floated off the Base.

"C-ring has been jettisoned!"

"Switching to remote control of C-ring functions!"

"C-ring thrusters online!"

The thrusters on the four portions of the C-ring flared to life, propelling the self-destructing Ring away from the base. Each quarter plowed towards the enemy at a steady rate.

"Activating C-ring self destruct!"

Once each quarter of the C-ring had plowed into the remaining enemy ranks, they self destructed.

"Sensors show that the C-ring's self destruct took out sixty percent of the remaining enemy!"

Dorothy nodded her approval. "Have the MST and GT follow through. We will not allow any of the enemy to leave this Sector alive."

"Yes ma'am!"

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

April 7, 200 AC; 5:37 PM

CSA Colony L3 Orbital Base, Bethor

Shinn Asuka, age 20, violet eyes and brown haired, a CSA Admiral, First Class, Type Two Unlimited, Pilot 02 of the GTK, Preventor Agent Shinigami, and Pilot 02 of Gundam Deathscythe Hell, Codenamed Duo Maxwell, was not at all a happy teenage Gundam Pilot and God of Death.

His beam saber was almost out of juice, the thermal scythe was useless, and his Gundam's enormous artillery, reminiscent of Trowa's Heavyarms, was almost out of ammo.

Fortunately, the battle, which lasted fifty-nine hours, forty-seven minutes, and thirty-two seconds, was over. He sighed as he steered the Gundam Eclipse XD into the hanger of the Orbital Base for reload, recharge, and a quick once over.

If he was lucky, he might be able to get some sleep before taking off to deal with his next mission.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

April 10, 200 AC; 6:56 AM

Colony L2 Shuttle; Destination, Colony L1 VX392870 

The four remaining Gundam Pilots' vacation had finally come to an end. With Duo's departure on a mission, Lady Une had given them four more days of rest before taking them off the reserve lists.

Currently, the four were on a shuttle, on their way to the Preventors L1 headquarters for a mission debriefing. They would be on the colony for two days.

6:34 AM

CSA L1 Orbital Base, Artemis

Shinn sighed in relief as he boarded the CSA Transfer Shuttle Capricorn along with the thirteen other CSA Agents, who had also been given the day off by the Triad. They were going to the Colony L1 VX392870 for a nice relaxing day of not worrying about whether or not there was an enemy MS behind them, ready to rip them to pieces.

7:57 AM

Colony Cluster L1, Colony VX392870; Saceport

Quatre thought he saw a familiar chestnut braid as he disembarked the shuttle, but when he looked again, the figure was gone.

9:23 PM

CSA Transfer Shuttle Capricorn

Shinn allowed his lips to curve into a contented almost-smile. He had seen his friends, even if they hadn't seen him. Quatre might have caught a glimpse, but Shinn wasn't quite sure. He had a suspicion that the others were here for a mission, which was partially why he hadn't approached them, although he'd had more than one opportunity to do so.

It might not exactly have been a very relaxing day off, but it had been an acceptable one.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

April 12, 200 AC; 4:23 PM

CSA L1 Orbital Base Jeanne

Shinn's Gundam blasted through the enemy MS with well placed missiles with ruthless efficiency. Suddenly, he was thrown against his harness and he growled as his half healed ribs protested the abuse.

Why was he always the one who got rammed?

His beam saber cut through the MS and the Eclipse XD spun around in time to cut apart the MD that had been sneaking up on him. He felt something warm run down his side, and he knew instantly that he had reopened an old wound. Shinn's eyes narrowed and the Eclipse lifted the Vulcan guns and fired off a well placed shot, effectively frying the annoying little asses of the last five Nautilus MS.

His computer beeped.

Shinn sighed.

He already knew what the beep signified.

It was another mission.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

April 15, 200 AC; 3:23 AM

On Route to CSA UK Base: The Cockpit of Gundam Eclipse XD

Shinn, on route to the UK, was enjoying a brief rest. The attacks had just kept coming, and he had been forced to dart from Lestrange Point to Lestrange Point, then from Lestrange Point to Earth, then from one pat of the planet to the other, and back. It was a vicious cycle, and there was little time for rest. Therefore, while he could, Shinn dozed in the cockpit of the Gundam, trusting in the autopilot to get him safely to the CSA UK Base without any mishaps.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

April 30, 200 AC, 9:23 AM

CSA Colony L3 Orbital Base, Nemamaih

Shinn Asuka, age 20, violet eyes and brown haired, a CSA Admiral, First Class, Type Two Unlimited, Pilot 02 of the GTK, Preventor Agent Shinigami, and Pilot 02 of Gundam Deathscythe Hell, Codenamed Duo Maxwell, tired, cranky, sore, his arm now in a sling (He'd broken it when his suit malfunctioned and he crashed landed in the hanger, his safety harness snapped and threw him out of the cockpit), rushed to the hanger where his Gundam was waiting.

Repairs had been finished, and the time he had been unconscious had put him really far behind schedule. Of course, a good thing had come out of his injury, he had gotten several hours of much needed rest, and he had been fed as well.

Five minutes later, he had finished the power up sequence, and the Eclipse XD was launched into space once more.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

May 5, 200 AC; 6:43 PM

Colony L2; Asuka Residence

Where in the past, it had been Quatre who was providing the pilots with a roof over their heads; it was now Duo who was their host.

The Gundam Pilots had taken Duo up on his word when he had said that they could use his house if necessary, and had literally moved into the American's small but comfortable estate. Quatre had abandoned his own estates for Duo's in order to be closer to the braided pilot during his long absence.

The cook and maid who had been there during Duo's short recovery period had returned to their original employer's home, and the Manguanacs had taken over their duties.

More than once, they (the pilots) had looked at the CSA vid-phone and wondered where the Deathscythe Hell Pilot was, and if he was alright, and more than once, a disgruntled voice would mutter about wringing the American's neck if he didn't return home soon.

Despite the many missions the pilots had been given, they had never taken too long, and the pilots had always a week or two between each mission. Duo, according to Lady Une, was taking care of mission after mission, since the CSA was under constant attack, and as a CSA Admiral, and one of their best pilots, the American was under obligation to take on the missions as they came. This reminded the Gundam Pilots rather forcefully of one point in time during the Eve Wars, when they had been put under similar pressure by the scientists, who had sent them to destroy base after base, and to intercept supply ship after supply ship, without a single moments rest.

If the CSA was under attack and if Duo was under obligation to answer and accept every mission as it came, the other pilots knew that it would be a long time before they saw their braided friend again.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

May 25, 200 AC; 11:45 PM

CSA Colony L5 Orbital Base Shekinah

The Eclipse XD blew apart masses of enemy MS and MD with well placed missiles. When the occasional enemy got close enough for the close range combat, the thermal scythe or the beam saber ripped them apart, but the Gundam's movements were slightly sluggish, a manifestation of the pilot's condition.

Shinn was utterly exhausted. His braid had come undone sometime in the last ten days, and he'd no longer had time to even eat. As a result, he was not only exhausted, but he was also lightheaded from hunger.

The last suit was destroyed, and Shinn's computer beeped.

He sighed and opened the file, and found a mission he wholeheartedly welcomed.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

_Admiral Shinn Asuka, First Class, Type Two Unlimited_

_You have done well. Your next mission is simple. Go home. Rest. You have earned it._

_Triad._

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

May 26, 200 AC; 7:23 AM

Colony L2, Asuka Residence

Shinn had not bothered to take his time to rest after he had gotten his latest communication from the Triad. Instead, he had rushed straight home.

After leaving his Gundam in the hanger under the house, Shinn had staggered out of the tunnel and around the house and up the front steps. He fumbled with the key for a while before finally managing to get it into the lock, and the door swung open.

He staggered into the living room, and four pairs of eyes stared at him in shock.

"Duo!"

Shinn's lips twitched and he gasped, "Tadaima…" (I'm home) and collapsed.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

A/N: Review!

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**


	13. Chapter 12: Possession

Ayashi no Yuugi II: The Final Sunrise

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.

Chapter 12: **Possession**

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

May 28, 200 AC; 3:05 AM

Colony L2, Asuka Residence

The first thing Shinn was aware of as he woke was the quiet tap-tap-tapping of the rain. The second thing he noticed was that he was warm and comfortable. Slowly, pale lilac eyes opened, and fixed on the familiar white ceiling of his room, and even more slowly, his lips curved in a faint smile of contentment.

He was home. And life was good. For now, at least.

He turned his head and spotted a figure slumped over the bed, his blonde head resting on crossed arms. His smile widened in affectionate amusement, as he lifted a hand and ran it gently through light gold locks.

He wasn't quite sure when he fell into the warm embrace of sleep…

8:34 AM

Quatre woke to find the bed empty, and for a moment, he panicked. Then the bathroom door swung open, and Shinn entered the room, one-handedly toweling his hair, his other arm in a sling. The American smiled at the sight of the rumpled Arabian, his eyes flashing relief for a brief moment before disappearing under a playful demeanor.

"So sleeping beauty wakes at long last," he teased.

Quatre barely heard what Shinn said. He couldn't take his eyes off the immortal, whose damp hair was freed from its usual braid, and was dressed in a white dress shirt, which was unbuttoned, and a pair of black slacks.

Shinn raised an eyebrow and leaned against the door while his smile morphed into a familiar impish grin. "See something you like?"

Quatre flushed and looked away. Shinn chuckled, pushing off the door and walking over to the Arabian. Gentle fingers slid under his chin, lifting his head to stare into pale lilac eyes.

"Why does the lack of my presence worry you so much, Quatre?" Shinn's voice was amused but serious.

"You were injured…" Quatre said, hesitantly.

Shinn's eyes narrowed slightly. "Your empathy should have been allowed you to sense that I was still in the house," his voice was low, worried.

Quatre's aura had always stood out in his senses, mostly because of his empathy, but his aura seemed off somehow… The blonde still had his empathy, but then why hadn't he been able to sense his presence in the next room? What would have happened if he hadn't sensed the panic that Quatre had felt?

Someone was meddling with Quatre's empathy, and Shinigami was going to get to the bottom of this. Whoever was meddling with what belonged to him was going down; all he had to do was find them.

((Mitsuki Cosmos::snicker: Shinigami's on the warpath::snicker:))

May 30, 200 AC; 2:45 PM

It had been five days since Duo had returned to his house to rest and recover before the inevitable next mission arrived, but he had been doing anything _but_ rest. In fact, he had been working himself half to death in the apartment over the garage, on some project, which he would not divulge, not even to Quatre.

The pilots, when they were there to watch the braided pilot, and occasionally when they were not, were becoming increasingly worried.

Quatre had a vague feeling that it had to do with his empathy, but he had nothing to prove his suspicions.

June 4, 200 AC; 5:34 PM

Trowa looked out the window worriedly. The other pilots were out on a mission, and should be returning soon, in about two hours. Duo had stormed out of the house nearly two hours earlier, a dangerous look on his face, one that was rarely seen outside the cockpit of his Gundam. The look on Duo's face wasn't what had worried him though; it was what the American had been wearing…

June 4, 200 AC; 7:06 PM

Colony L2, The Sartoria Night Club

Shinn grinned maniacally as he slipped into the crowded club. The third he had been to so far. This was the one, all his sources had pointed that the demon Oriel hunted at the Sartoria more often than not, so this was where she was most likely to be found. His revenge would soon come to a close. He was Shinigami, and no one, not even a Master Demon like Oriel, was allowed to play around with what was his.

Even in the early evening hours, the Sartoria was packed. The Sartoria was one of those many places scattered throughout earth and the colonies, which was hyped with the supernatural, attracting Slayers, Wiccans, Mystics, Witches, and other Immortals, be they Divine, Demonic, or Neutral, like bees to honey. Like other Clubs of its kind, the only human in the Sartoria was the bartender. It was toward the fat, balding man (Caucasian, in his late forties, if he wasn't mistaken), that Shinn made his way.

With his Immortal heritage flaunted for all to sense if they could (which most could, considering the type of people who congregated here), no one attempted to accost the immortal. The crowds parted for him. Instinctively, the club goers knew better than to approach him, not even to say hello. To do so was to ask for several years, centuries, or millennia to be shaved off your life.

The bartender stiffened when he saw a young man with a long chestnut braid, in his early twenties, dressed in a red silk long sleeved shirt with a plunging neckline and a tasteful fall of lace at his throat, black leather pants, black leather ankle boots, black silk fingerless gloves, and a black trench coat stalked toward the bar. The bartender could see the gun holstered at his side, and the daggers in his boots. Human though he was, the bartender could tell that this wasn't your average immortal, demon, or Mystic, and the young man wasn't exactly human either.

A single cool amethyst stare was enough to make one of the demons at the bar scramble off his stool, offering it up to the immortal's use. The immortal took the seat, and his eyes roamed the club, watching, analyzing, calculating; he was obviously looking for something, or someone. The bartender knew that it was only a while of time before he turned on him for information, and he knew it wasn't going to be a pleasant experience in the least.

It was times like this that he hated his job.

As expected, ten minutes later, the young man turned to the bartender and crooked a finger, motioning the bartender to come over to him. The bartender gulped and walked over to the young man, all too aware of how the other immortals around the man had started to edge away from him, or attempted to ignore him.

"Well?" the bartender said, "What do you want?"

"Information," Shinn said calmly, his voice cool and level.

"Don't know nothing."

Shinn turned slowly and pinned the bartender with a cool amethyst stare, his eyes level and calculating.

"Indeed."

His voice was level and intense, and the bartender gulped nervously, detecting the hint of amusement hidden in Shinn's husky voice. There was no doubt that the immortal was playing with him.

"Very perceptive," Shinn said lightly, his lips twitching.

The bartender's eyes bugged out in shock. A mind reader!

Shinn's lips stretched into an unpleasant smirk. "We can do this the hard way, or the easy way. I am looking for a demon by the name Oriel."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Wrong answer.

Shinn's immortal aura flared, and large bat wings unfurled themselves, his ears pointed, and his lips peeled away from his teeth, revealing canines that were longer and sharper than that of any Master Vampire, his fingers lengthened, and the nails became dangerously sharp. His pupils morphed into pitch black slits, and the whites vanished, swallowed by the amethyst hue of his eyes, the different shades of violet swirling around the pupils. The dim lighting flickered, and all light surrounding the immortal seemed to be sucked into his person, making his dark aura even darker.

((Mitsuki Cosmos: Scary…))

If Shinn had been frightening earlier, he had become outright terrifying.

Everything in the club froze. There was no longer any doubt about who was now among them. Death had arrived in the Sartoria…

7:34 PM

It was a very satisfied God of Death who left the Sartoria Night Club. Shinn grinned malevolently. The demon Oriel would pay for meddling with what was his…

His wings surrounded him, and a blanket of darkness surrounded him. When it faded, the street in front of the Sartoria was empty.

((Kamui Gaia 07: Possessive, isn't he?))

7:35 PM

Colony L2, Asuka Residence

The other pilots had just returned from a mission, and Trowa was telling them about the actions of the American earlier that evening.

"Maybe he's on a mission," Wufei suggested.

Trowa shook his head. "No, I asked Lady Une. She said that the Triad forbade sending any GTK Pilot on any missions until July, when they would be fully rested and recovered from the strain put on them in the past few months."

7:36 PM

Somewhere on Earth

The Demon Oriel, well known for her hatred toward empaths, especially well known for the empath called 04 that kept her away from gaining the powers of Gundam pilot 02, was enjoying a meal; a Witch from Japan, a dark haired beauty with the most enticing curves who was a very powerful Wicca. She had no idea that Death was coming for her, seeking vengeance for his meddling with what was his.

She started in shock when a pitch black mist coalesced in front of her. The mist solidified into a pair of bat wings which unfurled, revealing a very peeved God of Death.

"My Lord!" Oriel cried, surprised. "What brings you here?"

"Discipline," Shinn said calmly.

"My Lord?" the demon asked, confused.

"You have been a very bad girl, Oriel," Shinn said in a mildly admonishing tone. "You have meddled with the powers of what belongs to me."

"Sire!" Oriel flung herself to her knees, throwing aside the half conscious Wiccan. "I would never touch what belonged to you, Sire!"

"You were never fond of Empaths, Oriel," Shinn's voice was deceptively good natured, "and you did not try to keep your hatred toward the Gundam Pilot 04 a secret. Very recently, I have found that his powers are being blocked where the Pilot 02 is concerned."

Oriel paled and gasped, "Sire?"

Shinn's eyes narrowed dangerously and without warning, he grabbed the woman by the hair and yanked until she was bent over backward over his knee. With a decidedly feral grin, he said, "You know whom I speak of. Did you think that Pilot 02 was _human_? I _am _02, and 04 belongs to _me_."

"Please, Sire," Oriel cried, "I did not realize!"

"Silence…" Shinn said lightly, his voice amused. His eyes sparkled with enjoyment as he forced the demon's spine to arch several degrees more, causing her to yelp in discomfort.

His smile hardened. "I don't think you're suffering enough, my dear," he said, his voice deceptively mild, as he grabbed Oriel's arm and wrenched it behind her back. Oriel gasped in pain.

"Nope, still not enough," Shinn said in a conversational tone. He twisted her arm a bit higher, and one of his wings swept forward, shattering her kneecaps. Oriel grimaced and started thrashing, and Shinn's smile widened fractionally. His wing slammed down, dislocating her free arm as a quick stamp of his boot broke one of her legs, causing the demon to howl in pain.

Roots emerged from the ground, binding the demon's knees and ankles to the floor, preventing her from shifting to lessen the discomfort. Shinn chuckled malevolently and forced her spine to arch ten degrees more, this time, she truly did scream.

More roots shot out of the ground, wrapping around her neck, wrists, and across her torso, along her shoulders, keeping her spine arched, and Shinn released her hair as he stepped back, smiling maniacally. A thin, spiked metal cane materialized in front of him, and Shinn calmly took hold of it. Several more roots shot out of the ground, and tore apart the skimpy black leather clothes that covered her. Oriel couldn't help but flinch as the cane came down with a swish and stopped a mere millimeter away from her face.

In a brisk voice, Shinn said, "Ten for being an incompetent, ten for breaking etiquette, ten for touching what belongs to your Liege Lord, and ten more for lying to me."

Throughout the chambers, the servants and slaves winced at the screams echoing through the complex.

**XoXoX**

The last stroke was applied, and Shinn stepped back, studying his handiwork with a critical eye.

He nodded in satisfaction. There were forty distinct bloody welts, not one overlaying or crossing another. The metal cane melted out of existence as he made a barely detectable flicking motion with his hands, and the roots moved Oriel, who was choking on harsh silent sobs, into a spread eagle position and turned the demon over so she faced the floor. Another root tangled itself in her hair and jerked her head up so Shinn could look into her pain glazed eyes.

"Don't feel so relieved, Oriel, dear," his voice was light, and a leather whip appeared in his hands, "we're not finished yet."

Oriel let loose an anguished wail as the whip came down.

((Kamui Gaia 07::giggles: Ouch :giggles: ))

June 4, 200 AC; 9:56 PM

Colony L2, Asuka Residence

The four Gundam Pilots looked up expectantly when they heard the door open, and Shinn strolled leisurely into the house, a faint smile of satisfaction on his lips, his eyes sparkling.

"Maxwell!" Wufei snapped.

Shinn paused and slowly turned his head toward them. "Yes?"

Wufei gulped as the braided pilot's intense violet gaze locked on him. Refusing to be intimidated, he snapped, "Where have you been all day?"

"Caning the crap out of some moron who thought she could get away with interfering with what is mine," was the shockingly blasé reply.

The other pilots stared at him in horror.

"Duo…" Quatre whispered.

Shinn sighed and said, "She's still alive, if that's what you're wondering. She'll be alright in a day or two."

Instead of continuing into the house, Shinn turned and left the house once more.


	14. Chapter 13: Leap of Faith Part I

Ayashi no Yuugi II: Final Sunrise

Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimers Apply.

**Warning:** This portion of Ayashi no Yuugi contains lots bondage and crude language. If you thought the last chapter was intense, wait till you read this. :snickers: Immortals sure are possessive, and they'll go to great lengths to guard what is theirs, as Duo has demonstrated in the previous chapter, and will do so again…

Chapter 13: **Leap of Faith Part I**

"_Ellie! Ellie answer me!"_

_The silence that came back to him crept into Michael's heart and made him more afraid than he'd ever been in his life. Had he been too late to save Ellie? Had they killed her because of some stupid technicality? Because he hadn't put the coin back in the casket before sunrise?_

Unless it be returned to _her_ before the rising of second sun, there will be death without mercy. _The old man's words thundered relentlessly in Michael's head. He'd said, returned to her—her—not returned to the cemetery or even carried to the grave, but returned to _her

"_Ellie! Jesus, Ellie, answer me!"_

_If only he'd left for Carlton sooner instead of wasting so much time trying to reach Janet by phone._

"_Ellie Marie Savoy, answer me!"_

_If only he would have driven faster._

"_Answer me, baby, please!"_

_If only he'd have run from the cop and through the woods quicker._

"_P-p-please—El—"_

_Michael felt something large and thick ball up in the middle of his chest. It rolled upward, threatening to smother him, then exploded out of his mouth, voiced in a sob. He fell onto his back, covered his face with his hands and cried, deep racking sobs that lifted his shoulders off the casket._

"_Oh, G-God—not my little girl," Michael gasped. "Pl-please, n-not my baby. I'm begging you, take me, please, take me instead!"_

_The sound of his weeping echoed against the crypt walls and washed back over him again and again until it seemed like a multitude cried with him._

**--Grave Intent by Deborah LeBlanc--**

((It's a very, very, very good book! Kamui Gaia 07 recommends it!))

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

Shinn did not return to the house that night or the next day. Instead, he slept in a suite of apartments beside the underground hanger, accessible only by a hidden door in the hidden study and in the hanger itself. He spent his time working on the Eclipse XD and the Deathscythe Hell and writing up reports in the study. It was three days later before the pilots saw the American pilot again, and by silent agreement, no one made any mention of his absence three days before.

His relationship with Quatre continued on a good note, if a bit strained.

Unknown to any of them, the next mission, a joint investigation between Preventors and the CSA, would make things more than a _little_ strained.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

July 5, 200 AC; 3:45 AM

Colony L2, Asuka Residence

Shinn woke to the quiet beeping of his laptop. Gently disentangling himself from Quatre's embrace, he paused and watched affectionately as Quatre shifted in his sleep and clamped his arms around his pillow, muttering Shinn's name sleepily before falling silent and still once more. Chuckling quietly, Shinn left the bed and quietly padded over to the desk and turned on the laptop. His eyes narrowed and became cold as he read the report for the newest mission.

He leaned back in the chair as he contemplated the new mission, and his eyes fell on Quatre's sleeping form, curled around his pillow. His gaze became soft and affectionate even as his lips curled downward in a thoughtful frown.

Of all of them, Quatre was least suited for the upcoming mission. Shinn knew his blasé reply toward the worries of the other pilots a month ago was only a scratch in the surface of his personality. He doubted that their feeling toward him would remain as they were now at the end of this mission, when they finally saw how far he would and could go in order to complete a mission.

Quatre would most likely be utterly and completely terrified of him before this mission ended, and there would be no way for him to escape the pain, considering that an immortal loves once, and only once. Quatre would be terrified of him, the mere thought of approaching the immortal would render the Arabian helpless with fear, leaving Shinn heartbroken, to forever live with the pain of his beloved's rejection, without death or the severing of the link (Both of which were impossible for an immortal) between them to lessen the pain.

As for the other pilots, they would most likely be disgusted that he would be able to go so far in the process of completing a mission, and they would no longer trust him enough to sleep easily under his roof. He would lose their trust in him before the mission was over, Shinn knew, and though they may trust him to keep them safe on the battlefields; they wouldn't trust him anywhere else.

The mission would test the tolerance and trust between all the pilots, and Shinn had no doubt that he would be the one to be found lacking.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

_Admiral Shinn Asuka, First Class, Type Two Unlimited_

_Your next target is Monique Kingsley, part owner of the Remalna Resort in Budapest, Hungary. She is one of five civilian members of the Nautilus, providing for them what Chairwoman Maria Sloane at Simikiel Academy in Romania provides for the CSA._

_Reports from various Preventor and CSA contacts show that there is a lab hidden somewhere in the extensive properties of the Remalna Resort. Each Contact claims that Kingsley is manufacturing a very deadly strain of viruses for the Nautilus._

_You and the other four Gundam Pilots are to go to the Remalna Resort, destroy the lab, and bring Kingsley in for questioning._

_Admirals Kaze Haruka and Lucrezia Noin will be in attendance should you require their assistance._

_Attached is a file containing all information necessary for the successful completion of the mission._

_Triad_

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

July 12, 200 AC; 5:23 PM

The Meat Market Nightclub, Remalna Resort, Budapest, Hungary

Trowa Barton's face bore his usual cool, impassive expression, but instead of keeping others at a distance, his aloof demeanor seemed to fascinate the people around him. In place of his usual jeans and dark turtleneck, Trowa wore a simple white outfit that literally screamed style and good taste—very expensive good taste—with a thin, dark belt to lend a touch of color to the otherwise pristine ensemble. In the middle of a nightclub filled with people dressed mostly in varieties of black mixed with an occasional flash some other intense color, the overall effect of Trowa's pristine outfit was that of a young man coolly detached from his murky, sordid surroundings. The sense of rampant sensuality, lust, and near-desperation that gripped so many of the club-goers left the brown-haired pilot untouched.

A half-naked woman, her breasts falling out of the ribbon that was her—er—halter top, staggered out of the mad crush of the dance floor. Intoxicated out of her mind, high on drugs, or both, she toppled to the floor at the Latin boy's feet. After the briefest of glances at her, he calmly shifted his feet to the right a few inches as the bouncers scooped the unconscious woman off the floor and carried her away.

Trowa's air of indifference and serenity made him irresistible to people of both sexes. Mostly Trowa's age or just a little older or younger, they were the shy, uncertain ones, hovering around the pilot in hopes of attracting his attention, yet keeping their distance as if afraid of appearing too forward.

As for Quatre, he found himself the uncomfortable recipient of hungry, predatory stares, particularly from the older women and men in the nightclub. Although he hadn't been accosted yet, he had the unhappy feeling that they were just taking their own sweet time before pouncing on him.

Quatre gazed around the crowded nightclub. Since it was beyond anything he'd ever encountered, the blonde pilot found the whole scene eerily fascinating. The club's motif was an unnerving yet intoxicating mixture of gothic eroticism laced with a good dosage of leather and bondage... In Shinn's own words, pure unabashed decadence. The Sandrock pilot had to admit that his lover had not been exaggerating in the least. (In fact, Shinn had done very little, if any, exaggerating since the coming into the open of the Cosmos Star Agency, and the disposal of the mask of constant joviality that they had, during the Wars, come to associate with Duo Maxwell.)

He knew that in a normal city, teenagers would have been barred from such hard-core nightclubs, but this was no ordinary place. The resort complex where he and the other pilots were staying called itself Remalna and liked to advertise itself as the new Sodom and Gomorrah. There were no minimum ages here and the only god was money. If you had the cash, you could play.

So kids barely in their teens and quite possibly younger, danced, drank, and drugged beside the hardened twenty-something club-crawlers who in turn jostled beside middle-aged and even some elderly adults on the prowl for some young and tender flesh. Everyone was looking for excitement or interesting games–all of which were obviously sexual in nature.

The place was not called the "Meat Market" for nothing.

Quatre stiffened as a fat, graying man turned and walked—no, waddled—in his direction and thought, _Oh, hell._

He nearly jumped out of his skin when someone suddenly sat down beside him. The blonde pilot sagged in relief when he realized that the person next to him was Duo. With his features arranged in a composed expression, completely blank of emotion, but exuding a sense of serenity, control and authority and dressed in a white silk dress shirt, with most of the mother-of-pearl buttons undone to show off his toned chest, and a pair of snug black leather pants and ankle boots, the Deathscythe pilot made a striking figure. The Arabian pilot never noticed the riding crop that Shinn laid inconspicuously on the seat beside him.

"I don't like this place, Shinn," Quatre whispered to his lover, well aware that he was whining. "I keep getting the impression that these people are mentally undressing me!"

Shinn's composed expression never faltered. "They most likely are."

"That's really reassuring, Duo!"

Shinn gave a barely detectable shrug. "What do you expect from a place called the 'Meat Market'? Most of these people are here to have 'fun'. In a place like this, that usually involves sex in one form or another. These people will assume that everyone else here wants the same, even if they say 'no'."

Quatre gulped and whispered, "Duo…"

Shinn studied the nervous blonde pilot carefully and looked up at the older man, and frowned inwardly. The older man hesitated at the cool amethyst stare Shinn leveled at him, but continued his trek toward the blonde pilot. Shinn's eyes narrowed fractionally and he placed a hand lightly on Quatre's shoulder and drew the young pilot toward him, wrapping his free arm around the Sandrock pilot's slender waist in a protective gesture, never taking his intense violet gaze off the man. Shinn chuckled quietly as he watched the older man's eyes narrow angrily and charged toward them.

"Oh, someone's angry…" Shinn whispered, absently tracing a finger up and down Quatre's neck, making the blonde shiver.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Shinn?"

"Trust me, Quatre, I know what I'm doing," Shinn murmured, dropping a light kiss at the base of the blonde pilot's neck.

The old man stormed up to them and wrenched Quatre out of Shinn's protective grasp and sneered.

"No _boy_ is going to have what's mine," the man snarled.

Heero and Trowa, spotting the trouble, came to the table, and stood wordlessly behind the young man, offering their silent support to the Deathsycthe pilot.

The already dim light in that corner seemed to dim further and the patrons of the club nearest them, sensing a disturbance between dom and dabbler, fell still and silent. Shinn smiled icily and rose to his feet with a lethal grace, his eyes glowing ominously.

"Oh, really?" Shinn's husky voice was low but level, and held a captivating intensity.

The older man gulped, but refused to be cowed, and his grip on the blonde pilot tightened. "Yes, now out of my way before I am forced to teach you a lesson, _boy_."

Shinn lowered his head so his bangs covered his face and his shoulders began to shake. Slowly, his chuckles rose in volume, and he threw his head back in boisterous laughter which stopped suddenly, and Shinn leveled a cool stare at the man, a familiar maniacal smile on his lips.

"Teach _me_ a lesson? Please, you call yourself a dom? Honestly, do you think your idle threats scare me? Hah!"

The patrons shifted nervously, and Wufei suddenly materialized from the midst of the throng and joined Heero and Trowa, taking up a position behind the Deathscythe pilot. The older man stared at the young man incredulously while the other pilots exchanged amused looks.

It seemed that Duo Maxwell was back. At least temporarily.

Shinn continued to mock and bait the man, until finally, with a roar of anger; the older man flung Quatre aside and charged the immortal. Shinn stepped to the side and spared a glance at Quatre, and nodded to Trowa, who had the blonde cradled protectively in his arms, while leading him over toward the other pilots. Shinn waited until the man was in range and acted with a swift and brutal strike to the man's solar plexus.

As the older man staggered, unable to breathe or even think, the immortal gracefully spun and lashed out with a foot that caught the older man on the buttocks, sending him sprawling onto the table. A cool lilac glance at the audience brought four young women dressed only in strategically placed leather straps forward and they held the older man down in a spread eagle position.

Once he managed to catch his breath, the man started thrashing furiously in the young women's sure grip, letting loose a litany of curses that left Shinn quite unimpressed as he idly picked up his riding crop. A barely detectable flick of the riding crop brought a near naked young man out of the crowd, and he effectively cut the older man's clothes off with several efficient slices, despite his thrashing.

It only took the riding crop coming down with a decisive swish in front of his face to still the struggling man.

In a cool, crisp voice, Shinn said briskly, "Five for the rudeness, five for attacking me, ten for touching what is mine without permission, and ten more for being an arrogant and pompous old fool."

"Oh shit not that come on please--OWWWWW!"

The riding crop whistled and landed neatly across the man's buttocks, raising a red welt, and the crowd roared in approval. After a second, little beads of blood welled up from the raised flesh.

Shinn smiled with a maniacal cheerfulness the other ex-gundam pilots found very familiar and struck again. And again. And again.

The other pilots stared in shock. Duo Maxwell had emerged for a split second, but this person who was caning the poor idiot on the table was by no means the Deathsycthe pilot they had come to know and love during the Wars, or the CSA Admiral with whom they shared a house, and had come to respect and care for.

**XoXoX**

At the final stroke, most of the spectators were looking a bit ill, while others watched with cool calculating eyes. Shinn showed no sign of surprise when a tall, voluptuous dark-haired beauty stepped forward and studied the welts on the man's back, running a long, sharp nail down his back, eliciting an agonized groan from the subdued man, counting off the welts. She looked up and smiled cruelly and said, "Quite impressive, young man, thirty distinct marks, and not one overlaying or crossing another."

Shinn gave her an elegant bow. "Why, thank you. You are Monique Kingsley, part owner of the Remalna Resort, I presume?"

"Quite right," Kingsley smiled. "A pleasure, Mr…?"

Shinn gave her a cool smile. "You may call me Maxwell."


	15. Chapter 14: Leap of Faith Part II

Ayashi no Yuugi II: The Final Sunrise

**Serenity Maxwell: **You've been asking about Duo's whereabouts and when he will reemerge. Well, I won't say precisely, but I will give you a clue. _'Dispose of the mask to find the scythe, yet the scythe is a mask, and It is wrapped in darkness and is hidden inside the scythe, and still It is neither in darkness nor in light, but It is a mask, and the mask hides neither truth nor lie.'_ How you interpret that is up to you, but it's the only clue you'll get as to where Duo is and when he will reappear.

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.

Chapter 14: **Leap of Faith Part II**

"_You may call me Maxwell."_

Quatre shivered, staring at the immortal in front of him. He had always known that as an immortal, Duo's voice could become captivatingly intense, but in his experience, the intensity of his voice had always been tempered and accompanied by warmth, affection, amusement, and occasionally annoyance or frustration, thereby lessening blow of the intensity. But now, Duo's husky voice was as intense as Quatre had ever heard it, but it was untouched by any of the warmth or good natured cheerfulness that had been such an integral part of the braided pilot, that it showed in his actions and speech, even as the CSA Admiral Shinn Asuka.

He'd thought Duo had been joking when he said that he'd caned someone last month, but what he saw today had proved that Duo was capable of doing so to another person, over a small thing. Quatre realized that he had automatically assumed that Duo was Duo, whether he was Shinn Asuka or Shinigami, automatically assuming that the kindness and affection he felt toward those he respected, knew, trusted, and loved was the whole of the person he loved, although Quatre had always known that there was more to Duo than he showed the world. The blonde Arabian trembled as he watched Duo interact with their target, feeling faint as he listened to that voice, so devoid of the warmth and cheerfulness that he had come to associate with the immortal.

"A young man of your sophistication must find all this terribly boring," Kingsley gestured vaguely at the nightclub around them. "I would like to invite you to a private party tomorrow evening. I think you'll find it considerably more... exciting. And satisfying," she said. Her icy amber eyes studied the four pilots, the hunger and anticipation obvious in her blue-grey eyes. "You may bring your pets. I'm sure they will find it an enlightening experience, especially your newer pet."

Shinn didn't have to look to know that Kingsley was referring to Quatre. His face remained composed and his eyes gave away nothing of his thoughts or feelings, but inwardly he was seething. He knew what Kingsley wanted, oh, he knew very well what she wanted, and he would be damned before he allowed her to get what she wanted so badly.

"We will see," Shinn said, sure that his voice was a tad too pleasant. "Though Quentin is new to this, and I doubt that he is ready for that sort of entertainment just yet."

Quatre blinked. Shinn's voice was a tad too pleasant, he was obviously displeased about something, and Quatre didn't need his empathy to know that Shinn's emotions, normally tightly reigned in, were running rampant. He could sense anger, disgust, and more than a little self-loathing. The blonde pilot instinctively knew that despite the rampant emotions that he sensed, he had not even scratched the tip of the iceberg yet.

"Am I correct in assuming that Quentin is the blonde?"

Shinn nodded.

Kingsley's smile was icy; she knew Maxwell had no intention of sharing his scrumptious little morsel, and she was not happy about it in the least. Etiquette and caution prevented a dom from interfering or touching another dom's property without their explicit permission, and from his earlier display, Maxwell would obviously not give any dom permission to play with his little blonde or any of his very striking boys. No, she was not a happy woman in the least.

"Well, that's too bad. I wouldn't mind trying him out."

Shinn's smile, already icy, became icier. "I'm afraid you would be a bit much for him. Quentin is rather new to all this."

"I thought as much… There is a certain look to him…"

'_A look that shows his spirit, one that you would very much enjoy breaking,' _Shinn thought bitterly. Without ever dropping his mask or his pleasant tone, Shinn said, "He is rather high-spirited."

"Do I sense a lack of discipline?"

"Oh, Quentin is _very_ disciplined. They all are, in their own unique ways."

He idly tapped the business end of his riding crop against his leg as he spoke. He didn't need his immortal senses to know that the rhythmic smack of leather against leather and the sudden change in his demeanor was unnerving his fellow pilots. That was good, it would keep them from speaking out at the wrong time and would keep them at a distance, effectively preventing them from doing something stupid and disrupting the mission at a critical moment.

As for the other pilots, it took some effort, but in the end, they all managed to look _somewhat_ submissive and obedient, though Wufei had to lower his head to hide his scowl. None of them had to look at the other to know that they were all pretty much thinking the same thoughts. Duo was enjoying this far too much, he was by far too at ease in the perverse atmosphere of the resort, and he was also very unhappy with having to refer to his friends as his pets.

"I do hope that you are interested in my offer. You interest me."

"Do I?"

"Certainly. You strike me as someone who knows what they want, and isn't afraid to do what they must to get it." Kingsley found herself wanting to gag at her sudden wish to please and impress the young man. When had the roles reversed, with her being the submissive and the boy the professional dom?

Shinn didn't miss the slight grimace that flitted over Kingsley's face. She didn't like the fact that she was no longer in control. Good. His icy smile took on a predatory edge, and he resisted the urge to laugh as Kingsley flinched. "Flattery indeed. Very well, I accept."

Kingsley smiled coolly. "Excellent! I will let you know the details when everything is arranged."

Shinn nodded politely and said, "Very well. If you will excuse me, Madame, it has been a long day. Good night."

Shinn quickly hustled the four stunned and dazed pilots out of the nightclub and muttered furiously under his breath, "Wants to get to know them better my ass. More like she wants to break them, well, not while I'm the dom on this mission, she won't."

**XoXoXoXoXoX**


	16. Chapter 15: Leap of Faith Part III

Ayashi no Yuugi: Final Sunrise

Mitsuki Cosmos: Yes! At long last! We finally earned enough money! GW is ours::Squeals with joy:

Kamui Gaia 07: Hooray! We own the G-boys::Jumps up and down and maniacally grins:

Heero::pulls out gun and turns off safety: Stop lying.

Mitsuki Cosmos::Pouts: We're not lying::Pulls out giant Algebra II text book: I will smash you with this textbook which has been blown up to two hundred times its normal size if you try to shoot me. :Waves it around threateningly: We own GW. Don't you dare say otherwise.

Quatre::Shifts from one foot to the other nervously: Now, Miss Mitsuki, you know that even if both you and Miss Kamui pooled your life savings, you still wouldn't have enough to buy Heero, much less the anime.

Kamui Gaia 07::Tears up: But Quatre… we worked so hard… :Pulls out giant Economics textbook: You belong to us… :Waves giant textbook around threateningly: I will squash you with this Economics textbook that has been blown up to two hundred times its normal size if you dare say other wise…

Duo::Jumps authoresses and knocks them out.: Hey, Trowa, got any twine?

Trowa: … :Pulls out rope.: Here. :Helps Duo tie Mitsuki Cosmos and Kamui Gaia to chairs.:

Wufei: Mitsuki Cosmos and Kamui Gaia 07 are weak onnas. They do not own anything. If you sue, it will be my duty to kill you to defend their honor since they are so weak.

Mitsuki Cosmos::Growls: What did you just say?

Wufei::Gulps nervously:

Kamui Gaia 07::Eyebrows twitch: Wufei… :Sweet smile: SHIN NE::Leaps out of chair and throttles Wufei.:

Zechs::Sweatdrops: Ahh… Well… That's… interesting…

Mitsuki Cosmos: I agree with you, Kamui Gaia 07::Leaps up and starts bludgeoning Wufei with giant Algebra II textbook: Wufei Chang, SHIN NE!

Lady Une::Coughs nervously: Neither Kamui Gaia 07 or Mitsuki Cosmos owns Gundam Wing. Please do not sue them as they have no money, and it would be an absolute waste of your time.

**XoXoXoXoXoX**

July 12, 200 AC, 3:23 AM

Quebec, Canada, CSA Inner Circle Headquarters, Control Center, MAGI 

ICA.

Inner Circle Agents.

In the Quebec Base was a place where the ten CSA ICA had absolute access to any and all information gathered from past to present. This area was a place where the CSA ICA had absolute power. In that part of the base, the word of the ICA was the law. This area was called MAGI.

MAGI.

Mystic Agency of Guardian Intelligence.

In the heart of the Quebec Headquarters, was the Control Center, codenamed MAGI. This was separated into three separate levels, the highest MAGI, the Crone, from which the top three of the ICA, usually the Heirs of the Triad, would command the MAGI Personnel, the second level, the middle MAGI, the Mother, was where the middle four of the ICA watched the life support of the pilots, and the medics in the base, and the third level, the bottom MAGI, the Maid, was where the last three of the ICA took over the battle and defense of the base. Around the three levels of the MAGI was a series of screen, two hundred and fourteen in all, which could provide the Inner Circle Agents manning the MAGI with a panoramic view of the surroundings should an attack take place, or show separate targets or broadcasts, and could even be used to show maps, possible attack or defense strategies, or even be used as a monitor for vid-link communication.

It is here that Inner Circle Agent Gaia, Admiral Alexa Morse, Type Two Unlimited, has chosen to run the constant investigation of the assassin known as Witch, believed to be in league with Monique Kingsley, part owner of the Remalna Resort…

Here also, Inner Circle Agent Sakura, Admiral Kayla Mitsuki, Second Class, Type Two Unlimited, has set up operations for her own investigation, the search for a group of scientists, codenamed Pack, believed to be developing a highly infective and unstable virus for Kingsley at the insistence of Witch.

Neither woman was currently in their offices, but in the Crone level of the MAGI, where they were preparing for test runs for the new MS, the EVA Series.

The EVA Series was the latest in Mobile Suits developed for the Inner Circle, armored in Gundanium, with heavy artillery reminiscent of the Heavyarms, speed reminiscent of the Deathscythe, and transformation capabilities between suit and shuttle forms reminiscent of the Wing Zero. The cockpit was to test out a new sync pattern, in which the pilot would meld with the suit, their intentions would help them pilot more easily, and the cockpit was filled with a fluid which could be breathed into the system, and the pilot would still be able to see and speak normally. Meanwhile, the life support kept this fluid clean and clear, and the bodysuit for the unit would keep the pilot warm. The fluid would also serve to absorb shocks and tremors if the unit was rammed or shot, or thrown aside, causing the chances of serious injury to the pilot from getting thrown into a safety harness to drop by 30. Of course, the only set back was that the cockpit had no safety harnesses. The design of the cockpit had no need for one.

The pilot would be expected to enter the cockpit, which was called the Pilot Plug, and the Plug would be inserted into the unit, and the shaft doors, reinforced with gundanium and titanium alloy, would close, giving the pilot inside the cockpit additional protection. In all, the EVA Series destined to be more powerful and efficient than any Mobile Suit ever designed or produced.

Despite the fact that the EVA Series had been completed for almost a year, there was a reason why the EVA Series was still in the testing phase. The sync ratio of the pilots tended to be low, and only Alexa, Kaze, Kayla, or Shinn had ever gotten adequate results. For the other members of the Inner Circle, the units seemed to have a habit of rejecting the Plug, sending the pilots unconscious for hours at a time. Until the glitches were fixed, the Dummy Plug, which was intended to be an artificial intelligence unit created to pilot the EVA in case the pilot cannot pilot the unit, would not and could not be tested. No, until the problem was fixed, the EVA Series would remain in the testing phase, and the Inner Circle would continue to pilot their supped up Gundams in a battle situation.

For that day, the two were the only members of the Inner Circle manning the MAGI. Lesser personnel with a level seven access, who knew he meaning of the terms 'discretion' and 'secret', were manning the lower consoles and the empty seat in the top level of the MAGI. It was a high honor to be given the chance to man the console normally manned by the Inner Circle. Sadly, the honor and excitement of the lesser personnel was overwhelmed by frustration, especially as the test wasn't going well.

"EVA 05 is rejecting the plug!"

"Insert plug 08!"

"EVAs 06 and 09 are rejecting the plug!"

"Sync ratio for 04 and 10 are rising from fifty percent to sixty percent!"

"Try to insert plugs 05 and 06 again."

"Admiral Morse, EVA 08 is undergoing a Full System Reject!"

"08, eject! Send in the med team. 09, 06, 05, disembark. 04, 10, good work, you may be able to pilot the EVA Series yet. Wrap things up, ladies and gentlemen, we'll end the test for today."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Alexa stood up and looked at Kayla tiredly. "Well, Kayla, that was an absolute waste of time."

Kayla stood up and stretched before heading for the door. "At least we did marginally better, Alexa."

"Marginally." Alexa sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she followed her friend. "How's your end of the investigation going, Kayla?"

"I'm almost there. I just need the signal from Shinn and I'll be able to go in." Kayla smiled. "What about you? How's your end coming along?"

"I got some new information this morning, and the last piece of the puzzle is at the Remalna Resort. I'll have to go down there just to be sure."

"The Meat Market, what a name. I'll bet Shinn is having the time of his life."

"Hnn."

"So when are you leaving?"

"0700 hours."

"That's in three hours and thirty-seven minutes!"

"That just means I'll get three hours of sleep before I catch the shuttle to Hungary. I'm all packed."

**XoXoXoXoXoX**

July 12, 200 AC; 9:06 AM

Penthouse Suite 7, Level 23; Remalna Resort; Budapest, Hungary

Alexa Morse, age 20, codename Tenshi, Inner Circle and Preventor Agent Tenshi, possible heir of Gaia of the Triad, and Admiral, First Class, Type Two Unlimited, dropped her bags tiredly on the bed. The hour and a half flight had exhausted her, and the half hour drive from the shuttleport to the resort had tired her out even further. Of course, there was no way she would be getting any rest just yet. The morning had been hectic, and the night even more so, and she had only had four hours of sleep, three before her shuttle, and one on the flight itself. By now, she was only managing to keep awake and alert out of sheer force of will. She wanted nothing more than to sleep, but she had to find Shinn first, and give him the new information before making her own investigation. Only after she had found something to link Witch to the Remalna and sent that information to Profiling, Processing, Intelligence, and the Triad and Shinn, could she sleep.

She sighed and slipped out of her suit and into a denim miniskirt and a skintight leather halter top, and a pair of knee high boots. She tied a small silver bell attached to a black ribbon around her neck, and tied her hair in a French braid, letting it flow loose from the base of her skull. Two thin locks were left to frame her face. She studied her reflection in the mirror and winced at the sight of the dark circles under her eyes, and the waxy pallor of her skin. She pulled out her makeup bag and applied some powder, rouge, eyeliner, mascara, and lipstick and nodded in satisfaction. She replaced everything inside her suitcase and snapped it shut, locking it. Then she placed it in a corner next to the bed near the bathroom door and left the room, heading for Suite 10 with mission sure steps.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoX**

July 12, 200 AC, 9:43 AM

Quebec, Canada, CSA Inner Circle Headquarters, Control Center, MAGI 

It was well known that the ICA was the best of the best, and the ten members of the ICA went out of their way to be calm, amiable and reliable, as they were the heads of the ten departments in the CSA, and the best pilots the Agency had ever trained. Of course, it was also common knowledge that certain members would become nothing if pleasant when angry.

So it was _not _good.

She was smiling gently and her words were soft and polite.

Which, they noted uneasily, was the worst thing that could happen.

Everyone who knew Kayla Mitsuki long enough to know that when the Admiral, Second Class, Type Two Unlimited, was looking positively cute and good natured, she was someone to be feared.

Yes, fear her, because that usually meant that she was angry beyond comprehension.

That was why the three men gulped, and looked around nervously when she cocked her head to the side in a childishly cute way.

"You do realize what you are saying, don't you, gentlemen?" her voice was calm.

The three men winced. "Yes, madam," the man on the right said, fidgeting nervously.

"So let me get this straight," her voice was deceptively polite, "you are telling me that if this virus is used, it can and _will_ mutate into a more dangerous strain."

The men nodded. "Yes, madam," the man on the left said, never noticing when his voice cracked with fear. "The virus is more unstable than we originally thought. Once it is released, it will be self-propagating and air borne."

The man in the middle added, "Millions of people could die from the virus, and there would be nothing we can do about it, short of retreating to the colonies and preventing the colonists or visitors from earth to return to the planet."

She smiled gently and the three men flinched. "I see."

She sat back in her chair, drumming her manicured fingers lightly on the armrests. The men kept glancing from the door to her long nails nervously, wondering if their blood would add a fresh coat of red to her painted nails.

"Is there anything else you would like to add?"

"…"

She swiveled the seat around to face the console, and the three remaining ICA members in the MAGI levels below her. "Very well. Send Lunamaria to my office. Dismissed."

The three men saluted, and scrambled out the Control Center, identical looks of fear and relief etched on their faces.

**XoXoXoX**

July 12, 200 AC; 10:13 AM

Remalna Resort; Budapest, Hungary

_Shinn quickly hustled the four stunned and dazed pilots out of the nightclub and muttered furiously under his breath, "Wants to get to know them better my ass. More like she wants to break them, well, not while I'm the dom on this mission, she won't."_

Feeling Shinn's hand trembling slightly against the small of his back, Quatre murmured, "Shinn?"

"Not now, Quatre. Wait until we're in the elevator," Shinn said curtly.

Quatre swallowed nervously and inclined his head slightly. Shinn caught a glimpse of the hurt look on the Arabian's face and moved his hand up to squeeze the blonde's shoulder reassuringly.

Quietly, he murmured, "I'm sorry. It's just safer to talk in the elevator than out here. Fate only knows who is listening."

When they arrived in the main lobby of Roissy's most exclusive hotel, all it took was a single, cool amethyst stare to make the impatient herd of guests milling around the elevators to clear a path for them. They continued to hang back and allowed Duo, who ushered the other ex-pilots inside, to take sole possession of the next available car.

As he slipped his card key into the slot which granted access to the penthouse level of the hotel, Duo allowed himself to relax fractionally. Once the doors closed and the car jerked into motion, Duo slumped against the wall and put his head into his hands, taking deep shuddering breaths.

Showing weakness?

Perhaps.

In front of people like Monique Kingsley?

Most definitely.

In front of his companions since the wars?

A sign of absolute trust.

For an immortal in a mortal body?

A mask to hide the true extent of their capabilities for cruelty.

Which was true? Which was false? Quatre was sure that this display was simply an act, put on for the sake of their comrades, but he also knew that Shinn would suffer most, being the immortal, forever young while those he loved would grow old and die before his very eyes. For now, if he wanted to act, to put on another mask for the others, Quatre would allow it. After all, they would have plenty of time after death in between reincarnations to get to know the immortal behind the mask, the true face of Shinigami. There would be plenty of time.

Seconds later, Shinn's breathing evened out, and he lifted his head from his hands, while he straightened. The elevator pinged and the doors opened and he composed his face into a blank mask and stepped out. The others followed him and they moved wordlessly down the hall towards Suite 10.

Once there, the door swung open, and they were met with the sight of Admiral Alexa Morse standing in the center of the sitting room.

"Admiral Asuka," Alexa said crisply, saluting.

"Admiral Morse," Shinn replied, saluting.

"We have received more information on Witch's involvement with the Remalna Resort. According to the contacts, Witch should be arriving here in the resort in a few hours. I have taken the liberty of positioning 08, 04, and 05 in various positions here in the resort, with Admiral Kaze and Admiral Noin's permission of course." A slow smile crossed her face. "The noose is tightening around her neck, Admiral. Just a little while longer, and she will have no place to run but into our wide open arms."

Shinn nodded and closed the door behind the other pilots. "A wise move, Admiral. What about Admiral Mitsuki? When will she make her move?"

"Admiral Mitsuki is in charge of 07, 09, and 10, as well as the investigation of the virus. My guess is that she may arrive with the remainder of the INA either tonight or tomorrow. Contact 45, who was relocated from Gibraltar has reported that Witch has made contact with the scientists developing the virus and seems happy with the results. That leads to the assumption that the virus is nearly finished and should be ready for distribution soon."

Shinn nodded in approval. "Once the rest of the ICA and Admiral Mitsuki arrives, the last piece will be in place. We will have the King in check, and we'll be able to go home." His eyes darkened. "This place is a walking debauch. I will be glad once Operation Silverfish is complete and we shut down the resort."

Alexa smiled sympathetically. "The atmosphere is rather disturbing, isn't it?"

Shinn nodded and said, "Go look around. It'll be best if you get acquainted with the territory. Who knows, maybe the ICA you brought with you will have spotted something the five of us," he waved vaguely at the other ex-pilots behind him, "have missed."

"Sir, yes, sir!" Alexa snapped a salute and left the suite.

**XoXoXoX**

July 12, 200 AC; 12:23 PM

Quebec, Canada, CSA Inner Circle Headquarters, Sublevel 26, Kayla Mitsuki's Office

The words wouldn't make their way to her brain.

Yes, her eyes took them in, but the brain was far too occupied to take them in.

It was simply a mess of black symbols on a white background…

…and a blinding daze of anger…

Kayla Mitsuki snatched up the papers she was supposed to be reading and threw them as far away as possible, her brows arching skywards in unveiled murderous rage.

Anyone catching sight of her at the moment would be terrified senseless. The soft-spoken, smiling Kayla Mitsuki, one of the top three members of the ICA, reduced to venting her anger on an innocent piece of paper... and then, of course, Kayla wouldn't have anyone seeing her this way. A leader was supposed to be calm, cool, amiable yet firm in his or her commands. That was why Kayla, like the other nine members of the ICA, always reserved a space for this mask of unwavering confidence.

Wasn't it the same for the contacts? A firm mask of ever changing emotions and lies, to be discarded or reused or created should the situation ever call for it—a mask for only the best of spies. Perhaps that was why she was rarely ever double crossed by the spies, she could easily tell when the CSA contacts were lying, which was a factor in how she had managed to gain the position of Head of the DIN, the Department of Intelligence Networks…

Speaking of contacts…

The Immortal forced herself to resist the powerful inclination to knock the entirety of leather-bound books from the bookshelf. It was frustrating, maddening, anything...

They lied to her. _Lied._ Operation Silverfish was labeled a Code Red Alpha AX23940 for a _reason_. Whether the Earth Sphere survived the next threat rode on operation was a success or a failure, and over two thirds of her contacts had the gall to _lie_ to her.

Just _what_ were they _thinking_? Did they have any _idea_ what withholding or altering information could do to a delicate operation like Silverfish?

She wasn't quite sure if she wanted to yell or smile. Despite what the previous Head of the Department had said, she was losing faith in the contacts.

Perhaps she should execute and replace them?

She smiled wryly. Alright, perhaps that was a bit extreme, but wasn't it the best and most effective way to silence any leaks from the contacts? They had information about the organization that would make any of their enemies drool at the prospect of gaining, and they would pay outrageous sums of money to gain such information. If there was one god that the informants loved most, it was money, and if offered the right amount, any contract made with the CSA would go flying right out the window. It had happened once before, and after that little debacle, needless to say, very few of their informants lived to the ripe old age of forty-five, and rarer still were those who survived to see age sixty.

There was a timid tap at the cherry wood door. "Admiral?" a quiet voice said nervously.

The quiet feminine voice was enough to rid the scathing hatred running through her veins for a second. Kayla took a deep breath, and another, and another, and willing her breathing to become even, she arranged her features into a calm and pleasant mask.

"Come in, Lunamaria," she called.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**


	17. Chapter 16: Leap of Faith Part IV

Ayashi no Yuugi II: Final Sunrise

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.

Sorry for the long wait! Senior year was tough as hell, now that I've recently graduated, I have a part time job! In a little under three months, I'll be starting college! Wai! Time moves so fast!… Anyway, R&R!

**Chapter 16: Leap of Faith: Part IV**

_There was a timid tap at the cherry wood door. "Admiral?" a quiet voice said nervously._

_The quiet feminine voice was enough to rid the scathing hatred running through her veins for a second. Kayla took a deep breath, and another, and another, and willing her breathing to become even, she arranged her features into a calm and pleasant mask. _

"_Come in, Lunamaria," she called._

The door swung open and a young girl, hardly more than twelve, dressed the green and black uniform of a CSA intern entered the office. She fidgeted, toying with the embroidered cuff of her uniform.

"Lord Fire has sent a message. You are to depart for the Remalna Resort immediately. The EVAs that are operational and are synchronized with the pilots are to go as well."

"I see. I was about to give the order to leave anyway. Activate the Alvis system the moment squadron five leaves the Headquarters."

"And the Fenris system, Admiral?"

"Not unless there is no other option. The Siegfried units are also only to be used as a last resort. I'm afraid the Orbital Bases have been using them too often. The enemy is recalibrating their strategy and weapons for long range attacks. They may not have fission shields to counter the particles and render them neutral, but the enemy is not stupid. They won't come into the range of the Units unless they let their guard down, but that won't be easy either. So far, only the Quebec base is untouched, but that's because we're underground with a school on top for the Children of the CSA to take on their secondary education. All the enemy really sees is a school, so chances are, they won't attack. Nevertheless, I won't take any chances, not with the lives of the children at stake. I will not sacrifice the lives of children for the sake of peace. See to it that they are protected."

Lunamaria saluted. "Yes Admiral."

Kayla nodded. "Dismissed." Lunamaria saluted again and left.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

July 14, 200 AC; 7:26 AM

The Meat Market Nightclub, Remalna Resort, Budapest, Hungary

The four CSA Agents stepped wordlessly off the Remalna Resort's Guest shuttle, three automatically assuming a guard formation around the fourth, a woman with amber eyes and black hair with violet highlights, who was dressed in a black velvet strapless gown. Around her neck was a chocker of black velvet with a single white stone in the shape of a crystal. Her hands were covered by black silk gloves to her elbow, and chandelier earrings of white stone and sterling silver hung from her ears. Her skin was pale, and her crimson lips were full and sensual.

"Remember your place… If WITCH is there, PACK will undoubtedly be nearby. Mark your territory, and keep your collars on, and _do not_ under _any_ circumstances, take your collar _off_. If you do, the repercussions will see to it that you _never_ disregard my instructions ever again. You belong to Libra, only to be shared with Scorpio or Death, do you understand?" Kayla said calmly.

"Yokai!" the three agents snapped salutes and Kayla smiled.

"Yoshii… let's go!"

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

Alexa sighed as she slipped into the bath. She smiled as she leaned back and closed her eyes as the hot water soothed her, and her tense muscles relaxed. It seemed like forever since she had last had a break, and now that she had finally reported in, she was ready for a long awaited rest…

She jerked upright in the tub full of lukewarm water at the sound of someone pounding on her door. Alexa sighed and got out of the tub and pulled on a bathrobe before stepping out of the bathroom. She glanced into the peephole and rolled her eyes at the sight of a mass of blonde hair. Tiredly, she opened the door.

"What are you doing here, Milliardo?" she growled.

Milliardo frowned. "Is that anyway to greet an old friend, Arashi dearest?"

"Urg," Alexa waved her hand at the blonde pilot, motioning him into the room. "Don't call me that. Tsukino Arashi died in a Z class mission several years ago along with Tsukishiro Miyuki."

Milliardo entered the room and sat down in one of the chairs as Alexa closed the door. "Which reminds me, why _did_ the two of you fake your own deaths?"

Alexa sighed. "It was for the good of the mission. With the Kamui power returned to Kami-sama's authority, there was no reason for Arashi, Miyuki, Subaru, or Seishirou to remain Earthside. At least, that was what we thought until Nautilus decided to merge with Chaos. So now we are back, only without Omnyouji or Sakurazukamori. Shinn won't be able to fight chaos as he is now, we need the lighter aspect of Shiniigami in order to fully combat Chaos…"

"So we have to awaken Duo Maxwell and pull him from the confines of his own mind?" Milliardo's voice was tired.

"Yes, and I can guarantee you that it will not be easy. Shinigami guards his mind as if his life and sanity depended on it, which, if you consider his name and his duties as a deity representing Kami-sama's authority, it does."

"So how do we pull him out?"

"First, we wait for Kayla to arrive. Then we finish this mission, and we drag Duo out of his mind, kicking and screaming and thrust him into the forefront of his consciousness. We _need_ him, we need _Duo _to combat Chaos, or everything will descend into chaos…"

"So now what?"

"We wait."

"That doesn't help."

"We have no choice."

"I know."


	18. Chapter 17: Welcome to the END!

Ayashi no Yuugi II: Final Sunrise

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.

Kamui Gaia 07: OMG… It's been over a year since our last update, and so much has changed. I miss you so much, Mitsuki Cosmos!

Mitsuki Cosmos: I miss you too, Kamui Gaia 07!

Kamui Gaia 07: Well… Now that I'm in college and Mitsuki Cosmos is graduating High School, I'm sorry to say that this collab will be ending.

Mitsuki Cosmos: Neither of us wanted to leave this unfinished, so we decided to end it as quickly as possible.

Kamui Gaia 07: As such…

Mitsuki Cosmos: We will be ending the story, though it may not end in the way that it was originally planned.

Kamui Gaia 07: And there you have it. We deeply apologize for the long delay and the bad news.

Mitsuki Cosmos: We are very sorry. In any case, as with all things, this story must end. And so, here is the last chapter.

_Dianna waited until she heard the front door open and close before she walked out of the bedroom._

_The main room was filled with Fae. Friends. Family. All looking at her with eyes that silently pleaded._

_She walked back into the bedroom and shut the door. She stood there for a few minutes, doing nothing, seeing nothing. Then she walked into the dressing room and stared out the window._

_A hawk flew low across the meadow, a rabbit in his talons. Falco, bringing meat for the evening meal._

_Tears filled Dianna's eyes. She pressed a hand against her mouth to keep from sobbing._

_If she left now and the shining road closed, her Clan wouldn't remember that it was really Lyrra's fault. They would blame her._

_So she was trapped here. She would live here in the cottage, confined to the boundries of the Old Place, while she watched the families of her Clan come and go to a place she would never see again._

_She swallowed the bitterness that welled up inside her. And she wondered, briefly, if this was how the witches had felt when the Fae had gone to Tir Alainn and had left them to anchor the world they had created and never got to see._

---Exerpt from Anne Bishop's "The Pillars of the World"

**Chapter 16: The Last Sunrise**

_There was a timid tap at the cherry wood door. "Admiral?" a quiet voice said nervously._

_The quiet feminine voice was enough to rid the scathing hatred running through her veins for a second. Kayla took a deep breath, and another, and another, and willing her breathing to become even, she arranged her features into a calm and pleasant mask. _

"_Come in, Lunamaria," she called._

The door swung open and a young girl, hardly more than twelve, dressed the green and black uniform of a CSA intern entered the office. She fidgeted, toying with the embroidered cuff of her uniform.

"Lord Fire has sent a message. You are to depart for the Remalna Resort immediately. The Evas that are operational and are synchronized with the pilots are to go as well."

"I see. I was about to give the order to leave anyway. Activate the Alvis system the moment squadron five leaves the Headquarters."

"And the Fenris system, Admiral?"

"Not unless there is no other option. The Siegfried units are also only to be used as a last resort. I'm afraid the Orbital Bases have been using them too often. The enemy is recalibrating their strategy and weapons for long range attacks. They may not have fission shields to counter the particles and render them neutral, but the enemy is not stupid. They won't come into the range of the Units unless they let their guard down, but that won't be easy either. So far, only the Quebec base is untouched, but that's because we're underground with a school on top for the Children of the CSA to take on their secondary education. All the enemy really sees is a school, so they won't attack. Nevertheless, I won't take any chances, not with the lives of the children. See to it that they are protected."

Lunamaria saluted. "Yes Admiral."

Kayla nodded. "Dismissed." Lunamaria saluted again and left.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

July 14, 200 AC; 7:26 PM

The Sylvan Shuttleport, Remalna Resort, Budapest, Hungary

The four CSA Agents stepped wordlessly off the Remalna Resort's Guest shuttle, three automatically assuming a guard formation around the fourth, a woman with amber eyes and black hair with violet highlights, who was dressed in a black velvet strapless gown. Around her neck was a choker of black velvet with a single white stone in the shape of a crystal. Her hands were covered by black silk gloves to her elbow, and chandelier earrings of white stone and sterling silver hung from her ears. Her skin was pale, and her crimson lips were full and sensual.

"Remember your place… If WITCH is there, PACK will undoubtedly be nearby. Mark your territory, and keep your collars on, and _do not_ under _any_ circumstances, take your collar _off_. If you do, the repercussions will see to it that you _never_ disregard my instructions ever again. You belong to Stella, only to be shared with Terra or Death, do you understand?" Kayla said calmly.

"Yes Madam!" the three agents snapped salutes and Kayla smiled.

"Good… Let's go!"

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

July 14, 200 AC; 9:23 PM

Suite 10, 24 Floor, East Tower, Remalna Resort, Budapest, Hungry

Shinn sat on his bed in his hotel room, his head in his hands, the only light in the room coming from the laptop's blue screen.

Nothing had gone according to plan. He had shown too much of his true nature in a fit of carelessness, had allowed himself to enjoy his victim's pain far too much, forgetting where he was, and who was watching. The talk with the pilots had not gone well, and the five had all come to a unanimous agreement that after this mission, the Gundam Pilots would part ways.

What had hurt more, however, had been Quatre requesting on the behalf of the others that he not be the one to collect their souls at their deaths.

""_Immortals pledge themselves once and only once, and to the one whom they have pledged themselves, they can refuse nothing,"_" he whispered, "_"And if the pledge is between mortal and immortal, the immortal will suffer the loneliness of a pledge broken when the mortal dies, for they shall be eternally sundered, and while the mortal may forget, the immortal shall never forget, and no power, white, black, or grey may change it." _Why? Why did I ever choose this course, knowing full well what would happen?"

"Because it was meant to happen," a cool, ringing voice said.

Shinn looked up, and his eyes widened to see a woman clad in a burgundy gown with pale skin and eyes with neither pupil nor iris nor whites, and were simply pits of swirling blackness.

"Atropos," Shinn breathed, "The Sister who cuts the Thread of Life."

"However," the Fate said, "This event, this test of faith in the Lord of Death, it was not ordained." Bottomless dark eyes narrowed, "Time and time again, Chaos causes more problems than is necessary, and time and time again, the Gods must make sacrifices to prevent Chaos' over enthusiasm for his work from spreading to destroy all that we watch over. Athena and the Muses gave up Greece, and Aries gave up Rome. Apollo gave up the Mayans, and Hephaestus gave up the Aztecs, and Artemis gave up the Inca. Poseidon gave up Atlantis, and Chaos' brothers and sisters, the Titans gave up their power to their nieces and nephews. Time and time again, the divinity has surrendered their pride and joy to destruction to prevent chaos and discord from spreading."

"You have come to tell me that it is my turn," Shinn said sadly.

"Yours and Gaia's and Cosmos' turn, yes. My sisters are speaking to them even now."

"What does the Green Lady, the First Child and the Son of Death have; which could be offered to Chaos to stop this?" Shinn said bitterly, "Gaia has only the Earth which she rules; Cosmos the existence of the stars she loves so much, and the only thing most precious to me has already been lost."

Atropos looked sympathetic, "Yes, by taking this mission, instinctively, the first sacrifice has been given, and you sacrificed your friendship with the Gundam Pilots, and the love you have pledged to Quatre Raberba Winner. As such, the colonies on which you were reborn as a mortal will continue to fight, and shall be spared. Chaos can hold no dominion there, not so long as the Lord of Death fights for them still. The earth is split between Gaia and Cosmos, and so they must decide also. It will not be long now, and then we shall see what will fall under Chaos' power…"

Shinn's eyes widened and a heartbroken wail left his lips as he tore at his hair.

"The Fates too, have surrendered something precious to Chaos, did you know?" Atropos told Shinn, "We surrendered our powers, and our ability to be approached freely. We surrendered our names, so everywhere you go, there is some frivolous use of our names, and when all other immortals are given their rest, and fade from existence, the Fates will exist still, suffering the loneliness of true eternity, for always, there will be someone who will curse or bless fate for some sudden windfall of good or ill that befalls them, and we shall still exist after all other things are gone."

"Thus too is the Fate of Death," Shinn said in a broken voice, "for always, there shall be the end of some life, and unless there comes an end to all things, that know death and can name it, Death will exist."

"You have three choices now," Atropos said, "Destroy this resort, and unleash the virus being created. At this time, there is no cure, and by the time anyone realizes the illness being circulated, those who have fled, will have brought it to the colonies, and it will destroy the base with which Chaos works, and at the same time, it will save the other Gods this choice in the later future. Or you can withdraw, and leave Cosmos and Gaia to their choice, and let things run its course, and direct it from the position you hold. Or you could destroy everything, and allow Gaia and Cosmos to recreate everything anew."

"I have sacrificed my pledge," Shinn said, "I will not sacrifice his life!"

Atropos nodded, "Then let the Gundam Pilots 01, 03, 04, and 05 be the Ark which shall carry humankind to a new and brighter future."

Shinn blinked. "What?"

"Gaia has surrendered the Sanq Kingdom, which had been established with her blessing, and Cosmos has surrendered the CSA," Atropos said, "Relena Dorlain Peacecraft and Milliardo Peacecraft will die, and with them will fall the Sanq Kingdom. Those who wear the CSA's red uniform, down to the last Academy student will die, fallen to the Nautilus, but the Nautilus will fall with the deaths of the mortal forms of Shinigami, Cosmos, and Gaia."

Shinn closed his eyes. "So it is willed," he said, "so mote it be."

When he opened his eyes again, Atropos was gone.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

July 15, 200 AC; 9:23 PM

Remalna Resort, Budapest, Hungry

It was a pale faced Alexa Morse and Shinn Asuka who arrived in the foyer of the Remalna Resort to meet a tired but elegant looking Kayla Mitsuki, surrounded by the ICA under her command. Zechs and Noin joined them in one of the dining rooms, followed shortly by the Gundam Pilots, and it was simple for even those without empathy to see the listlessness in the eyes of the three immortals.

None of them knew that the immortals had sealed the fates of thousands of people, condemning them all to death for the sake of the world they loved. Fewer still knew that any hope that may have been had was lost.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

July 17, 200 AC; 12:23 AM

Remalna Resort, Budapest, Hungry

Quatre wasn't quite sure what had happened. All he knew was that one moment, he had been watching Duo fight off a large group of soldiers in the underground lab under the Remalna Resort, the next was that Zechs and Noin were dead, the five other CSA ICA agents that had accompanied Admiral Kayla and Alexa to the resort were dead also, and that the Gundam Pilots were outside, watching as the Resort went up in a single massive explosion, killing not only the enemy, but also the civilians who were inside the resort. There were no signs of the three remaining ICA Admirals, though Trowa mentioned seeing two aircrafts taking into the air just before the explosion.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

It was pandemonium in the CSA Headquarters. Seven of the ICA were dead, the remaining three in critical condition, and fading fast. The Nautilus was advancing, and those with the gift of the Sight were reporting shadows falling over the emblem of the Cosmos Star Agency.

Their sister organization, Preventors was working to send aid to the CSA, and even Lady Une mourned the loss of some of her best agents.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

Chaos.

It was the only word that would describe what was happening.

Reports were pouring in from every inch of the system, and Lady Une was surprised to discover how quickly the CSA was failing. She was even more surprised to discover how much information the CSA had gathered and preserved and had willed into the keeping of the Preventors.

Nevertheless, for every CSA base that fell, two Nautilus bases fell with them, and as Preventors sifted through the information sent to them as their Sister Organization's bases fell, they could not help but be amazed by how much they had been ignorant of, and how well the CSA had covered their tracks.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

July 15, 200 AC; 9:23 PM

CSA Sanq Kingdom Headquarters

There was a large ball of flames on the monitor. A giant ball of flames obliterating everything it could reach, and anything that got in its way; that was all that remained of the massive fortress that had been the Quebec Base, the Main Headquarters of the Cosmos Star Agency. And there was nothing left, although the EVA Units and the research had been sent to Preventors to preserve them, the Sanq Headquarters was the last CSA Base of Operations left standing.

"How could such a thing have been allowed to happen?" the Dean Yumi of the former CSA Spica Training Academy said.

"Years of hard work, all gone, simply for no apparent reason at all," the Admiral Alexa Morse of the Battleship Goldstreak agreed sadly. "We are the last outpost, and the Nautilus grows stronger by the day."

Another monitor blipped to show three Gundams taking into the air.

"Wha-" Dean Yumi said, "That's--"

"The Admirals!" Admiral Morse gasped, "What do they think they're doing!" she turned and called, "Open the frequency for the ICA! Get in contact with the three Admirals!"

"Admiral!" the communications operator called, "The frequency has been encoded and the Admirals aren't answering!"

Twenty minutes later the Sanq Kingdom disappeared in a massive fireball.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

July 16, 200 AC; 9:23 AM

Former CSA Base, Paris, France

"Everything has been destroyed…" Trowa murmured as they wandered through the wreckage.

"I wonder if Duo survived…" Relena murmured.

"Don't worry about him," Heero said, "02 is good at staying alive."

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

July 16, 200 AC; 9:23 AM

Immortal's Manor, Lestrange Point 7

"What are we going to do now?" Alexa asked as she sipped her coffee.

Kayla sighed and silently stirred some cream into her coffee. She set the spoon down on the saucer and said, "We wait, I suppose."

"No," Shinn said, "I found the last Nautilus Base. What we are going to do is destroy it, and the leader, who will be attending a meeting there. Relena will be there also, trying to put out a peace treaty with the Nautilus. Once the last Peacecraft is dead, the conditions of the contract with Fate will be fulfilled, and Chaos will no longer spread his taint over the world, and we three can depart."

The other two immortals looked at their comrade in faint worry.

"Are you sure you're alright, Shinn?" Kayla asked.

"I'm fine," he said curtly.

Alexa sighed, "Well then, if we're going to do this, we may as well do things right. Shall we prepare?"

Kayla nodded and finished off her coffee and set the cup and saucer on the table and stood up. "That's a good idea."

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

July 26, 200 AC; 6:66 PM

Preventers Headquarters, Lancaster, England

Heero, Trowa, Quatre and Wufei stared in shock at Lady Une.

"You're joking..." Quatre said, "The entirety of the CSA couldn't have fallen, and the Sanq Kingdom is simply damaged and restricting communications, right? They couldn't have fallen!"

"Admiral Shinn Asuka's last transmission detailed the destruction of the last Nautilaus base," Lady Une said, her face grave, "It's informal as everything was transmitted as it happened. The end of the transmission came with the activation of the self destruct mechanism in the CSA Gundams. We've sent several teams out, and the reports stat that none of the Admirals survived."

July 26,200 AC; 8:10 PM

Preventers Headquarters, Lancaster, England

Quatre R. Winner's Office

Quatre stared blankly screen of his computer. His eyes took in the words, but his mind didn't process them. Finally, Quatre turned his eyes toward the photograph on his desk. It had been a picture of happier times, before the Remalna Mission, when the pilots were still close, and still trusted each other, before Duo became Shinn, and before Shinn became something fearsome.

His computer blipped.

The blonde stared at the window that had opened.

_"You have one new message."_

Quatre clicked the icon and to his surprise, a window opened and Duo's face appeared. The braided pilot's eyes were dark, and his hair was messy. There was a thin line of blood that ran down his chin from the corner of his lips.

_"Hey, Quatre."_

The message smiled.

_"After what happened after the Remalna Resort, you probably didn't expect to see anything like this. I've arranged for this message to be sent after lady Une has broken the news to the rest of you. By this point, the Sanq Kingdom Base is the last CSA Outpost as I record this, and the rest of us are dying like flies. The legacy of the CSA is now left to the Preventors' keeping. I'm recording this message now to say goodbye. Cosmos, Gaia and I will be sacrificing our greatest works in this mortal existance to head off Chaos and preserve this planet. It's true what they say, the lights that burn shortest always burn brightest, and humans have always burned shortest yet brightest to the Immortals. That's why we had a rule in place that forbade us from loving humans you know. If we don't say it out loud, eventually, we will forget the human, and the contract is never finalized. I give up my love for you and the others, my friendships to spare the preventors. Gaia gave up her greatest acheivement to date, the Sanq Kingdom, and Cosmos surrendered her precious CSA. All these things are fallen to Chaos, and as a result, Earth and her colonies exist yet. Pilot 04, lead Pilots 01, 03, and 05, and become the Ark that will guide humankind to a new and greater destiny. In the end, despite it all, Quatre, I do love you. Live well."_

The screen went dark and two words flashed.

_"Transmission Ended."_

Quatre's eyes widened and tears poured down his face.

"Duo..." he whispered.

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX**

The Divine Realms

Death Administrative Office

Shinigami stared at the mess that was his inbox.

"Well," he sighed as he picked up his pen, "I had been expecting this..."

Universal Adimistration Office

Cosmos sighed as she laboriously slogged through the paperwork.

"Seven years, and my office turns into a fire hazard," she sighed. "Why the hell did I agree to this again?"

Gaian Administrative Office

Gaia glared at the papers, and willed them to burst into flames. Nothing happened, and she pouted, and turned to the Green Lady, who was responsible for the forests.

"But I don't wanna!"

"Lady Gaia," the Green Lady sighed, "This is your responsibility. We've already cut back the amount of paperwork that would reach your office as much as possible. What is left requires your signiture."

"But it's going to eat me!"

"Nonsence!"

Existance Regulations Bureau

Kami's Office

the glowing ball of benevolence pulsed with amusement as the papers in front of it glowed and vanished, each one with the number 72 stamped on the signiture line.

* * *

Kamui Gaia 07: We got lazy... XD

Mitsuki Cosmos: Yep its over, kaput, byebye!

Kamui Gaia 07 and Mitsuki Cosmos: Don't bother looking for the sequel 'cause we're not writing one. Bwhahahahaaha!!!! XD

* * *

**Edit: 10/08/2007**

Kamui Gaia 07: Er... (sheepish look) Yeah... I got slapped over the head by my muse... (Dashes back to math homework)


End file.
